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[Age of Heroes] Disaster at the Docks (Finished)


Mutt

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It has been several weeks since the Diamond Dog known as Mutt moved into Manehattan, and things have, as yet, not been looking up for him or the people around him. Mutt had eaten well enough even without being able to acquire a job. Big city inhabitants were wasteful and there was plenty of food of questionable freshness in receptacles that littered his territory, and he found that even if his findings both looked and tasted unpalatable, his doggy body had what could only be considered a cast iron stomach. Mutt had well managed to keep the nights in the back alleys between 17th and 23rd street free from crime, not that there was too very much of it to worry about compared to less savory sections of the borough. But soon after he moved in and had gotten into his groove he learned of a monster they called the Back Alley Beast, a creature that prowled the alleys at night, a lumbering, furry, filthy monster with frightening claws and the strength of ten ponies, a rotten breath and teeth that could only be for ripping meat! So he had to pack up his box and move to another district because he wanted no part of that. He liked that alley.

Since then, Mutt has focused his efforts on more pedestrian, daytime efforts of common heroism, and also finding work. Unfortunately, he is not very good at either of these things. He was spoiled before and his dog brain is... AGGRESSIVELY helpful or, well, unhelpful. No individual wants to hire or, say, be escorted across the street by a huge, filthy dog, even in a city containing one of the more shining examples of his kind. Even fewer want to actually be picked up and carried across, regardless of whether it's in the correct direction or not. Through a long chain of what would be hilarious misunderstandings if they were happening to someone else, Mutt has ended up going from a nuisance to being perceived as, and unfortunately, reasonably so, a villain, causing accidental property damage, profit losses, and even injury (to unintended parties) in honest attempts to help, moreso, he seems to get involved in entirely unrelated incidents that nonetheless reflect poorly on him. So it was that the dog Moved AGAIN, continuing on in a straight line, and made his home near the shipping district, desperately hoping to make things right this time.

So it is that Mutt is trying once again this foggy weekend morning, to be helpful by helping with the transportation of cargo. Cranes sway to and fro, carting large, hefty loads off of and onto docked ships, a bustle of activity and the cool, salt sea air and early morning mist make for a pleasant enough day to work. Unfortunately he has failed to check and see if his help is actually wanted. “Stop, thief!” is the call from a longshoreman, as Mutt plods along, carrying a hefty crate almost as big as he is, above his head. The cry immediately causes the dog to spin about, sending the contents of the crate bouncing inside. “Where?” Mutt replies, the dog is puzzled, and sees no-one running, especially when he turns back to look in the direction being addressed. “Stop that dog!”

In the next several seconds, several important things happen. The first is that local dock authorities spring into action converging toward him. The second is that a sudden, distraught understanding of the situation sparks in Mutt's mind resulting in the dog attempting to explain. “No! Stop!” The third, and most unfortunate is that as soon as he tries to explain, two cranes collide from a malfunction, causing the securing straps on the transport palettes to release and send cargo to start falling toward the dock. Chaos Ensues. Hefty boxes crash down, splitting open and damaging the docks, threatening to injure workers and passerby alike.  Mutt stares blankly at the chaos on the docks, ears pinned. He knows he didn't do all that. He's pretty sure, anyway. The dog is immediately struck with an intense moral dilemma. Does he take the opportunity to flee, like usual.. or does he dive in and try to help despite the clear and obvious danger and likelihood that he's going to end up in jail. For a second time.

As the cranes struggle against each other, the malfunctioning machine begins to catch fire, and with scattered and splintered wood everywhere, that fire can catch quickly, even at a seaside dock, which it does, rapidly spreading and making the decision even harder for his doggy brain to think over. His ears perk and swivel at the very faint sound of creaking and straining amidst the din, and then scraping and snapping as a shipping container starts to come loose. The decision is made for him as as authorities near him to apprehend him, and the crate is thrown toward the advancing officers, causing the ponies to jump back and halt their advance as the crate splinters, sending ruined tomatoes tumbling... as the container comes down on the crate, the tomatoes.... And the dog, cracking and bucking the dock with a reverberating clang and a resounding crunch as it lands. Things... do not look good.

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Not even a full month had passed since Bahamut and Rosetta had returned to Canterlot that they were off again to another one of Equestria's greatest cities, Manehattan. The city still felt much the same, yet everything felt so different at the same time. There were so many new heroes, and villeins out, everywhere nowadays, but it seemed that even with the addition of new blood on the hero scene there were always some kind of trouble. One such rumoured bit of trouble had caught the duo's ears however. A so called 'Back Alley Beast'. Some horrible vicious creature with no end of rumours attached to it. Having been heroes for quite some time, the two of them knew that ninety percent of those stories were just that. Stories. There were no two that matched one another piece for piece, and a lot of them sounded hyperbolic. But, being who they were, Bahamut nor Rosetta would sit back and run the risk of any of the rumours being true.


It was this sense of duty that found the two of them following up on some rumours pertaining to the beast. Recent sitings seemed to place it somewhere near the shipping district. "So this...beast. What we know about it so far is that it's somewhere between three to twenty feet tall, has at least two but no more than ten arms, nasty breath, sharp teeth, claws, raggedy fur, might be more than one creature, has either no eyes, two eyes, or 'many' eyes...Can no one give an accurate description of this thing? Rosetta asked, Bahamut's armour pulsing as she spoke.


"Most of the reports we got were second hand of second hand. Not to mention most of them were at night anyway. They could have seen any number of things. A stray dog in the shadows, clothes hanging from a line that flapped just the right way to look creepy, maybe even nothing more than their own shadow or literally nothing at all." Bahamut replied, shaking his head softly as he looked around for any clues. "But we can at least look into it on the off chance it may actually be something." Just about then, the sound of panic by the docks caught their ears. "And it may actually be something. Let's go!" wasting no time, Bahamut began a spring towards the docks.

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The docks are in organized chaos when Bahamut and Rosetta arrive. The fire is spreading and panic is growing. Some workers are fleeing, some trying to save shipments, carting them away from the fire. Cooler heads are attempting to prevail. For lack of a fire-brigade yet, some workers have organized a bucket brigade, pulling water from the ocean and trying to control the expanding flames. With the few people they have, they're slowly losing the fight. The docks are creaking rather heavily in place, it seems the structure has suffered damage from the impact of the container, whatever was in it must have been extremely heavy... The fire isn't helping matters.

Two officers, pegasi, are trying to help direct evacuees, while a third, a rather worn looking light tan gryphon known to most on the beat as O'Malley has a hat to his chest and muttering a prayer toward the container. It looks like someone didn't make it. There's some chatter about a thief amid the panicked yelling. There's a creak as the fire eats its way up one of the cranes, which soon threatens to topple its massive weight into the inferno charring the docks below. If it hits the deck, there could very soon be several more people who don't make it. There's no way of telling how well the dock will hold together in its current state after an impact like that and if it buckles, many people could slide down the dock into flames and shivers below. Nearby ships have already pulled themselves off moor and are attempting to get out into the bay but the fog is continuing to roll in despite the fire and making the process slow.

To make matters worse, one of the shipments coming in was lamp oil to be distributed through the docks to ships and out to individuals that lack electric lighting. It is currently being transported off the docks but sadly, the impact of its landing has caused the crate to spring a leak.. obviously at least one of the containers inside has broken, and the fire is rapidly slithering along a trail left behind toward the box. The workers notice and barely have time to (mostly) clear the crate before the fire catches up and the crate conflagrates, violently, spilling accelerant around the dock and making the fire spread all the faster. The bucket brigade isn't going to be able to handle that. Some of the pegasi are working to bring in clouds to help fight the fire but with the new development it's not going to be here fast enough...

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There was a great deal more trouble than either of them had anticipated! Fire and fleeing citizens, the creaking of the dock near to buckling. The police force were trying their best to keep everything organized and get everyone out safely, but there was only so much they could do. They weren't miracle workers. Nor were Bahamut or Rosetta, but they were in the business of trying to be at least. "It may not be a beast, but we better get to work. Rosetta, you take care of the fires, get some dirt. I'll take care of the crane. Go!" with a flash the armour that surrounded Bahamut split off into plates that flew off one way surrounded by a magical glow, while the dragon who wore it leapt from the ground to grab the crate that had just then snapped from the crane. "Oof...Phew, well at least that much is down."


Meanwhile, Rosetta had reshaped the plates into a comically large bucket, filling it with dirt before flying past the likely confused officers. "S'cuse me gents! Comin through!" it was probably an odd sight to see, a glowing magic bucket shaking heaps of dirt out to put out fires. But at least it wasn't water. Oil fires and water rarely got along and that was the last thing they needed! It was a full time back and forth to keep the fires in check, but once the oil fire had been taken care of the others were much easier to manage.


Bahamut had his claws full rushing non-burnt shipments and creatures off the docks. While there was still a bit of mayhem and sizzling, the timely arrival of the heroes likely saved a great deal of money and more importantly lives. Speaking of lives, as the silvery dragon hefted off the final box he happened across the body of a diamond dog and a lot of tomatoes! He wasn't sure if they were still...with us. Rushing the box off the dock he rushed back to the possibly...X eye'd creature to check in on him and get him off the still somewhat dangerous docks.

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The flurry of activity produced by the two arriving heroes is a welcome aid and their presence makes organizing the emergency effort much easier. People love heroes, having a symbol to focus on makes it easier to focus in trying times. Things are going great for a while. The fires abating, evacuation of non-essential personnel rapidly completing. Warehouses aren't burning down, no-one is getting trampled in a panic. All in all, it seems like the two are managing pretty well! With the oil fires relatively stifled, it's much easier to fight back the approaching flames, though even with the 'bucket' it's still slow progress to push back the approaching flames. The longer they burn, the hotter they get and the faster they spread, the effort seems to be just barely above even as flame starts to recede. The skilled capture of a crate by the dragon, manages to barely prevent a serious shock to the deck, something the weakening docks definitely did not need.

Once Bahamut changes his focus to the shipping container that's half sunk into a buckling portion of the dock, there's a protest from officer O'Malley, who saw and heard the container come down and had the impact shake him off his feet. "Boy wait! You don't wanna do that, it's not gonna be pretty!" but it's too late to stop the dragon. To O'Malley's surprise and... possibly other bystanders on the dock who are not busy shoving fully loaded cargo containers off a ruined dock, the sight that occurs is not in the slightest similar to what they were expecting. In stead of a dog, or, well, what would be left of a diamond dog, there's a blink-and-you-miss-it moment of a sudden, sharp blur of red and grey, so violent as to look purple, blasting straight up. Fluid flies everywhere, and after a couple seconds of tracking, the officer catches sight of the blur several stories up above the docks. "That blasted thievin' dog! He's gettin' away! An' he's alive!" O'Malley has a real handle on his priorites.

Mutt, for his part is of course...  not getting away. The dog is extremely confused, having many and varied crises. The most notable of which revolving around the fact that he is not dead and also that he now seems to be many, many feet in the air... and still rising... with no way to control his ascent, or worse, as he seems to be slowing, his inevitable descent. The dog twists, and gets a prime view of the container that had buried him getting shoved off the dock... probably into the water. He also gets a prime view of the crane that started the incident creaking, bending, and suddenly violently crumpling toward the dock at that same time. "Oh no!" is the extent of his commentary on the matter, as with a great and unpleasant screeching and crunching the crane twists upon itself from the impact and the charred dock shatters, nearby supports buckling and causing the nearby docks to start sloping unpleasantly downward toward the remaining flames and now a twisted mass of blisteringly hot metal that's steaming the water in which it sits mostly submerged, and various bits of very pointy wood. Nothing is ever easy.

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Bahamut blinks in utter confusion as a seeming rocket of crushed tomato and whatever was under the container blasts off towards the stratosphere. Shaking the junk off his face and wiping the rest away, the dragon took off skyward once again. Thief or no, there was no way that he was about to let the guy become speared on the shrapnel that once was the docks.


Meanwhile, Rosetta reshaped the plates into her usual diamond dog shape and went about doing a headcount. It seemed like everyone that was on the docks had been accounted for. Including rocket pup, who Bahamut was busy rushing off to catch mid-air. Traipsing over to the officers she gave a little wave and a bow of her head. She likely was a strange sight even for a super hero. "Hello folks, I'm sorry we weren't able to arrive sooner. Just glad that we got here when we did! I'm Rosetta, and the silver bullet up there is Bahamut. We were investigating the rumours about some 'Beast' that had been bothering the town, but we've yet to get any real clear cut information. Citizens seem to have varying and conflicting accounts, perhaps you might be able to let us know what's going on?"


Back up in the air, Bahamut had juuuust managed to catch up with the Diamond Dog's ascent...when the unlucky dog's descent started. "Never easy is it?" he asked no one in particular before barreling downwards after the falling canine. Faster...faster...closer...closer to the dangerous waters below...and just in the nick of time, the plummeting pup was plucked from peril! Held by the scruff by one of the heroes of the hour! "I think you've got some questions to answer, friend."

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Mutt stares downward and whines weakly, ears pinning to his skull as he sees the ground starting to get bigger just as something swoops up past him. He didn't really catch a good look at it but he's pretty sure he saw scales. He doesn't like that! Scales mean dragon. Dragon often means scary. The dog flails violently as he plummets, twisting and rolling in the air for moment before expertly stabilizing himself. Just in time to almost smash into the ground.. and probably bounce into a mass of twisted death. He is serendipitously caught moments before impact by the scruff and carried aloft by.. oh god yup it's a dragon. "I didn't do it!" is his immediate, exceptionally panicked, and tactful reply. He's a real smooth talker, this one. Very convincing.

None of the individuals around the docks have ANY idea what Rosetta is talking about. None of them have heard ANYTHING about a beast anywhere around here. The neighboring district might but the biggest issue around here is a very, very meddlesome diamond dog that seems to be causing no end of trouble and may in fact be a criminal, but the jury is sort of out on that. He's either one of the most unimpressive and petty villains out there or he is just staggeringly unhelpful. Either way it's likely that he owes more than a few people recompense, and he would probably be easily recognized there.

Officer O'Malley, not one to sit back and just let 'specials' do his job for him has pretty much met up with Bahamut in the air and giving the dog a relatively piercing and disapproving glower... "Nice catch. It'd be a damn shame if anything happened to a suspect on my watch. Now if you would, please remand him into my custody so we can have a thorough investigation. The foreman insists that this guy here was making off with a shipment... He wants damages, but considering the amount of destruction that's already occurred, we're not sure it's reasonable to expect that as there's no way to prove that crate would have survived intact... Unless of course this whole mess was a poorly planned cover for theft... in which case this dog is in serious trouble and is going away for a long, long time." Mutt gives a long, drawn out, and pitiful whine. "Oh come on!" he does not seem to be a very articulate dog, and his protests are really not helping his case.

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"That's about what I thought. Everything always seems to look more scary in the dark of night." Rosetta said with a nod of her head. "I'm willing to bet that this diamond dog there is the 'Beast' we're looking for." folding her arms she stared up at where Bahamut and the griffon officer were. She'd fly up there to help but she was more than certain Bahamut would be able to handle holding onto a possibly unruly culprit and chat with a cop at the same time.


"Actually officer, I'd like to be a part of that investigation as well. As my partner may have mentioned, we're looking into rumours of some sort of 'dangerous beast' that's been running amuck in your fair city. Rumours of which I bet are both founded and unfounded in various rights. But if the size of this disaster is any indication, it's likely this this fellow right here could very well be the selfsame beast." he said, gently hefting the diamond dog into his arms in a firm, but not painful grasp. Better than hanging by the scruff he was sure. "And on the note of the destruction caused today I'd feel much safer, as I'm sure your citizens would, if I kept a hold onto him while this investigation plays out. Be he a villainous mastermind or just extraordinarily unlucky, it'd be the best bet wouldn't you agree, Officer...?"

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Officer O'Malley somehow manages to look steadily more severe as the dragon speaks. Specials. The gryphon plants his talons onto his face and drags it down his beak with a heavy, exasperated sigh... Releasing his tension and expression at the same time. "Oh ya do, do ya? You specials, always tryin' to stick your noses in people's problems. Always wantin' to either divvy up a helping of justice or avoid it... Due process is a thing we used to be quite proud of ya know! If he couldn't get out from under the crate he's clearly something we can hold... but he's also clearly not normal." Mutt perks and huffs at that. So rude, the dog protests this assessment, "HEY!" and O'mally glares at the dog. "Shut yer yap, mutt, the adults are talking." Mutt pouts and crosses his arms, muttering quietly to himself.

O'malley frowns. "If ya want ta be involved, if ya want to hold onta him, then yer doin' tha' paperwork. So you take him down to the precinct. Both of yae. You fill out the paperwork holding yae accountable for both his safety and his holding until this is all sorted out. He's not to leave your sight for a moment, and no matter what may come up elsewhere, none of you are to leave this city until a thorough investigation has been finished, lest yae be charged with aiding and abetting a suspect. These are me terms. If yae don't like 'em, ya can drop him off at the nearest station and let them stuff him in holding." Mutt whines in protest. "Don't I get a say in this?" O'mally shoots the dog a look, "No." Mutt pins his ears and tucks his tail again, pouting and subdued. The gryphon turns back to Bahamut. "So what's it gonna be?"

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Not the sort for introductions it seemed. Oh well, the griffon probably had one too many late night call about this dog's shenanigans. It was clear that he was pretty fed up with the whole nonsense, Bahamut couldn't hold it against him. "Believe me officer I do not claim to be above the law, nor better than the law. The service you and yours provide is indispensable. Even without fancy powers or tights, you're still heroes in your own right." he replied with a nod. "I'm more than happy to agree to these terms, it won't be the first time that Rosetta and I have had to fill out some sort of legal paperwork." Speaking of Rosetta, the dragon whistled and waved her up with a free hand.


The magical plate-work diamond dog flew up and hovered by the other three and giving a polite little wave. "Rosetta, we'll be accompanying the officers down to their precinct to fill out paperwork. The Diamond Dog here will be under our custody until the investigation's finished. And we'll have to stay in Manehattan for a few days. Is that alright with you?"


Rosetta gave a nod and a shrug. "No skin off my nose! And you know what? I know the perfect spot to keep him so he doesn't scurry away." flickering and flashing, the plates that formed the corgi drifted apart and reshaped, zipping over to and around the other diamond dog before reforming around him like a suit of armour, even over his head. Though leaving him room to see and speak from, if not move.

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Mutt blinks a few times as his fate is decided for him. He thinks this is really dumb! He can represent himself! Also that's a silly thing for a mass of glowing metal to say. "You don't have skin!" he comments before he is unceremoniously rendered extremely prisoner. It's like the dog in the iron bodysuit. Except he can talk. Oh he is going to be absolutely on edge for the next few days. Energy is just going to keep building up in a prison like this. O'Malley huffs a bit and clicks his beak. "You know in some places there are cops that DO have what you guys have got. I can see how that would be useful but if you ask me it's also asking for trouble. Having a big presence makes you a big target, and they aren't surrounded by people like them. The risk of collateral damage to the force is too damn high."

It's a several minute flight at comfortable speeds to get to the precinct during which O'Malley has to break off and deal with other issues that need a sergeant... Upon arrival, it's a frenetic mess, papers going every which way, constant conversation. In addition to the docks, there have been no less then three robberies, one of which was at a bank. Two assaults, one hostage situation, and rumor of an actual possible city level threat, along with various misdemeanors, right in the middle of preparations for the policeman's ball. Every single person at the precinct has more work on their plate than they can actually deal with, so when they discover someone else is going to be filling out some of the paperwork there's a collective sigh of relief that the workload got just that miniscule of a bit lighter, and the investigation can begin proper once probably an hour's worth of paperwork for two people is done.

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Bahamut nodded sadly and sighed. "All it takes is one 'super' cop to go rogue and things go bottom up too. We know that feeling all too well." the dragon shook his head as they all made their way to the ground. That was a long story and there was no sense going into it if no one asked.


Police stations always seemed like they were in such a tizzy when Bahamut and Rosetta visited them. They were never the...Okay they were rarely ever the cause of such a tizzy, and in most cases it was just a flurry of autographs or questions from excited fans. But that was a while ago. This wasn't their first paperwork rodeo however, and Bahamut sat about the task of collecting up the correct papers...He was pretty sure they were the correct papers anyway. At least that's what the rookie who he asked had said, and they all seemed like a well together lot. He'd know better than Bahamut, he was sure!


Rosetta for her part was sitting by with her 'prisoner' inside. The waiting seats weren't the most comfortable things in the world. But it's not like that mattered to a being composed of energy and thaumite plates. For her tag along at least it was like floating softly in the air! "Wellllll. While Bahamut's getting all the paper's sorted, how about we have a chat! I'm Rosetta, what's your name?" she asked her fellow pooch.

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Mutt feels like that would be an interesting story to hear, but he's far too distracted by the fact that he's completely restrained to want to ask about it. He pouts vehemently as he's carted off to the station like some violent criminal, and is in a very foul mood by the time he's finally addressed. Well, in as foul a mood as he seems to be capable of, which would be considered 'kind of grumpy'. If he could cross his arms and turn up his nose as Rosetta addresses him, he would, and it's pretty obvious that he tried to. "Mutt, I guess." he replies, being a bit short with his clanky, glowing keeper. He resents these two juuust a little bit but it's not like he wasn't in this exact same position just like ten minutes ago. He's thankful that at the very least, he's not the one that has to fill out paperwork. Quills and pens don't really work well in these paws, so his handwriting is atrocious now.

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"Well for what it's worth it's nice to meet you. I'm going to guess by the fact that there wasn't a lot more destruction and mayhem at the docks that destruction and mayhem wasn't really your intent now was it?" she asked with a tone that said she would have arched a brow if she could. It really wasn't hard to guess either. Unless he was just a really, really bad villain! Being stuck under a huge crate doesn't really scream 'I am terror incarnate, fear me!'. "Sorry about the whole 'rat-in-a-cage' routine. It'll keep citizens off your back for a while though, and make them feel safer. Even if you weren't trying to cause any trouble."


While Bahamut did say that they had done paperwork before, it still wasn't his favourite thing in the world. But paperwork was still an important part of the justice system! Without it, who knows what kind of turmoil there'd be! Some of these papers though seemed. Strange? Then again he was sure it just boiled down to him being used to Canterlot's paperwork! Manehattan surely would have different things. After a few times back and forth, having Rosetta sign when she needed to, getting Mutt's name and prints, it was finally done! Sort of. His next bit of rushing around was to different secretaries and officers stationed around the precinct to give the correct papers to so they could be sent off to the correct ponies around the city and up to Canterlot as well. Ahh the gears of justice ever turn.


Eventually with a little huff of relief, the dragon plopped down next to Rosetta and her captive to catch his breath"Phew! And there we go! That only took...An hour and thirty three minutes. Personal record I'd say!"

 

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Mutt frowns a bit and pins his ears even flatter to his skull than they already are. "Only trying to help, no-one hires dogs... Not this one, anyway." he frowns. "Came here with nothing, still have nothing. Trying to be useful anyway... I'm not... good at it. My brain is... working different. It's hard." he huffs, and seems to be very upset by this last part especially. "The first thing they did was put me in a cage, I'm used to it.. except not this much." that's about all he has to say on the matter and becomes much less talkative after that. He doesn't enjoy being held captive at all, even if it is within the purview of the law. He simply watches and listens as yet more calls and reports come in. It seems to be a REALLY busy day for the department. They're probably still coordinating other investigations from earlier in the month too. The poor dog is really having a rough time of it. He's having to complete re-learn how to function. Mutt looks to the dragon when he finally returns, but says nothing, intent on being pouty.

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Working differently? What exactly did he mean by that anyway? She could sympathize with the pup some though, diamond dogs got a bad rap sometimes. Bad apples spoil the bunch for some ponies. Which was one reason the whole...non-physical body thing was a boon. To most Rosetta only 'looked' like a diamond dog. So anyone who didn't already know her as a member of Hopesguard in the past wouldn't be like 'Oh boy, another diamond dog' or something. "Aww, well chin up! I'm sure if you're telling the truth and the justice system stays fair and true, you'll find something you're good at. It just takes practice and help."


Bahamut gave a confirming nod. "That's right! No dragon...or diamond dog...is an island. It just takes finding the right friends to help you along your path! Perhaps after all is said and done, even we might become your friends! Your words ring true to me, I don't believe you intended any harm and I'm certain that with your testimony, the court will see that clear as day! That's not to say there won't be any repercussions, but you'll have a chance to make amends."

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Mutt frowns a bit as the two people who are effectively strangers try to encourage him. He feels like, if the situation were different, that might make him feel better. But it doesn't. Right now it just looks like he's going to spend the next several days stuck in some kind of metal suit. He found himself wondering why everything has to just go so badly all the time! Then he stopped feeling sorry for himself, and thought really hard on things, trying to get his doggy brain to widen its focus. It was.. hard, but he managed. He could have ruined a wing for good... He could have been recaptured.. Could have taken a different turn, not found the collar, been lost forever. Could have gone somewhere else, not found civilization, starved. Could still be in jail instead of having been allowed to wander around. Then there's the docks.. "... I have no idea how I am still alive." it makes no sense. There's no way he was strong enough to prevent that thing from crushing him. The crate he was already carrying was pretty darn heavy. He has no idea how he ended up in the air either. He kind of blacked out until he started to slow down. The dog takes a deep breath. "Can we maybe go somewhere that I don't have to be in a cage?" he would really like that. A lot.

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"Heh, now there's a thought I've had." Rosetta said with a little chuckle to herself. She wondered that on the daily, honestly. Then again was this really living? Most saw her as some weird ghost or maybe some advanced AI. Maybe the ghost part was true for all she knew..."But dwelling on that doesn't do any good. You just have to be thankful that you are and use that time to make the world a better, safer place."


"I'm sure for someone not used to it, Rosetta's armour may be a little cramped, I'll see if I can find the chief. If we're free to go for the time being, I'll get us set up with a hotel room!" Bahamut rose up and wandered off into the still busy sea of officers. By the time the dragon did find the chief, the griffon was being approached by one of his newer rookies.


"Uhm, sir. I had uh. That is there was a couple in earlier today, and they were wanting some adoption papers for the animal shelter, and the shelter was all out so they sent them here. And I had just dug them out for them, but then they had to go and said they'd be back later, and I laid the papers here..." the clearly stressed out unicorn said, fidgeting in place. "But when I came back, they were gone, have you seen them by chance, uh, sir?"

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Mutt pauses a little bit as Rosetta replies to his musings. He gets the feeling that the glowy metal thing and he are having two different conversations.... "Not what I meant." he scrunches his nose, and, sadly, sneezes. Well that ruins the gravitas of this discussion pretty succintly. Also, he can't do anything about it because stuck in suit. "Yes, not being able to move is usually how you would define 'cramped'." he replies, huffing a bit. Wow, his brain managed to be surprisingly eloquent for a moment there! That makes him smile. And if he could, he would probably wag a little. The dog rolls his eyes a little and waits to see if things are ready to be wrapped up and they can get out of here.

The chief for his part, buries his face in a talon and looks to the Unicorn. "Yes, private, I have. I see everything in this office. However, I don't know which ones they were, or where they are now. As you can no doubt see, today is incredibly busy." the chief takes a deep breath, smiles... and fails to be calm. "So if you can't find them, stop bothering me with problems that are easy to fix and go REQUISITION SOME MORE!" the chief is probably a little bit more stressed than the unicorn, seeing as his responsibilities extend to every department in the precinct and not just 'some paperwork'. The gryphon frowns and turns to look at the Two... three. He's already gotten word through dispatch from O'Malley. "If you've filled out all the forms, and understand your responsibilities, yes, you can go. Please. There's too little space in here today already." Feathers = Ruffled.

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The poor rookie wasn't around for long after the verbal berating. He zipped off in a flash leaving naught but a cloud in his shape where he stood before it too zipped off. Poor kid.


"Thanks much, Chief. Hope this all calms down for you soon." Bahamut said bowing his head before turning back to the double dogs. "Alright, we're good to go! The nearest hotel isn't too far, so we'll be able to let you out before you know it, friend." the dragon gave a thumbs up to Mutt, he really hoped that this guy wouldn't harbor any hard feelings after all of this was over. Which with all the paperwork done, shouldn't be too long by now!


"Should we pick up anything to eat on the way there? I'm not sure how many delivery places are that close." Rosetta opted to float along side Bahamut rather than bother walking. There were downsides to this whole ordeal of not having a body. This was not one of those. "How about you, Mutt? You hungry?"

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Mutt is glad to finally be out of there and away from people who are looking at him like a criminal. Mostly. He's sure this jury is still out, even if they're being nice about it. Not being in contact with the ground makes him feel.. weird. Especially with not moving under his own power. It makes him.. miss flying. He's barely aware of the conversation being held. It takes him a few seconds to register that he has been asked a question. "Yeah, for over a month." he does not really eat well, and it's gotten to the point where even when he does eat, he doesn't really feel full. He's mostly looking forward to getting somewhere that he might be able to stretch his legs. He feels like he should definitely be cramping by now and finds it a bit disconcerting that he isn't.

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"Goodness gracious, you really must have been struggling then." Rosetta said with some surprise. "Ponies are usually pretty good about helping out those who really need it. You must've been running into some bad eggs then."


The short walk to the nearby hotel turned into a bit of a longer walk to a quaint little bistro downtown. It was one of the fancier eateries without being 'Turn your nose so high you'll drown if it rains' fancy. Once the restaurant was in sight, Rosetta removed a great majority of the plates from around Mutt, save for a cuff around one of his wrists, and gently sat him down. This both gave him a chance to move around himself again, and let Rosetta retake her 'usual' form. "There we go, better right? Just don't try going and running off or we'll all get into some serious trouble."


Bahamut led the way into the bistro. A few odd looks and a bit of explanation from Bahamut later, the trio were seated at a nice corner booth. The restaurant had a quite and lovely atmosphere, and the delicious smell of the food wafting from the kitchen never seemed to cease. "Feel free to order whatever you'd like, Mutt. It's our treat. Just...try not to break the bank or eat the bistro out of house and home ahaha."

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"I was not in good shape when I came here... First impressions are important. I was in jail almost immediately. I have ground to make up." the dog slumps a bit in his dumb, metal energy dog cage and ughs internally. He's unsure why he's saying so much to these two. It's not like it's going to change anything. It isn't even making him feel better. The dog immediately faceplants onto the ground once he's released because after a couple of hours of not moving everything has pretty much gone to sleep. It takes a not inconsiderable effort for him sit himself back up, and even more so to stand. Oh. Huh. His cage person is actually dog shaped. He finds that weird.

"Pretty sure I'm not going anywhere even if I need to." the pup replies, trying to work his body back into working order. He can make everything move but it's.. clumsy because he can barely feel any of it... he does manage to follow into the shop and find a seat. And by find, we mean sit wherever he's supposed to so he doesn't get in trouble. The dog pins his ears flat at being told to order something. He has no idea what he should order, he's been living off of refuse for a while now, and many things, even if they aren't molded, don't taste the best once you get them out of a can. He has no idea what he even likes now. He stares at the menu and goes cross-eyed for a bit, but, thankfully, the abundance of discarded newspaper means he's had plenty of opportunity to ensure that his new brain is still tuned for reading. "I have no idea what I want." he finally states, after going over a menu for at least three minutes.

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The poor thing. It really did bring a great deal of sympathy from Rosetta. She and her family were never the richest in the world, but they made do just fine and never really wanted for anything. To see one of her kind being given such a short end of the stick was really sad. But she was sure if he could pick himself up out of the dumps and have a little more faith and a lot more help, Mutt would end up just fine.


"Ah don't worry then, we'll find you something good to eat!" Bahamut said with a grin and a nod as he looked over the menu. Going to restaurants was fairly simple anymore. Rosetta...couldn't really eat except under certain circumstances that her brother had figured out which meant Bahamut rarely had to pay for anyone but himself. But it was nice to get to treat someone to a meal now and again. It reminded him of times before The Fall and it felt especially nice being able to treat someone who hadn't eaten in so long. After much humming to himself and debating in his head, when next the waitress came around Bahamut ordered two bowls of Manehattan Clam Chowder and some cola. "I'm sorry by the way, that we couldn't have met on more pleasant circumstances. You seem like a fine fellow though!"

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Mutt takes hunkers down into his seat as he waits for the order to arrive. He's never had chowder. Or clam anything. He's pretty sure that's not a plant, but it's not like he's certain. Also he's pretty sure a lot of the stuff he ate down in the mines were similarly not things he would have chosen to eat. He keeps his hesitance to himself and flats his ears, feeling inordinately guilty about how good they're assuming he is. He feels like... gosh. A bad dog. "Look. Thank you for being nice... but this is my fault. I did not make the best decisions. It is my fault I got here. I am not a..." he wracks his brain. "Victim of circumstance... Except the docks. I have no idea what happened. I was just trying to help.. and then there was yelling.. and worse." the pup hunkers down in his seat. "The thingy... fell on my head. I didn't duck or go flat for cover. The dock didn't... didn't... buckle under me. The wood didn't break until after it came down. I shouldn't be here. Waiting on a meal."

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