Bannhammer

Max listened intently, and his eyes widened at the mention of a fire. "Brazil's an arsonist too?" The Rockefilly leaned back in his chair, trying to understand everything. He raised his glass and tipped it slightly while nodding. "I think a bit of reparations would go a long way, misunderstandings can really make future business harder than necessary." The rich unicorn put a hoof to his chin, deep in thought. "I... I just don't know. I'd love to help you, but I simply need more details. This is something too big to rush into, but it's important to you, and I don't want to let you down..." Maximilian sighed and moved his hoof from his chin to point towards the door. "How about we grab some lunch and discuss things further, then I'll be able to make up my mind."

Max blinked a few times, trying to get all that information in at once. "That's terrible, why wouldn't they respect his wishes simply because he adopted you?" Not wishing to press the matter further, Max changed the subject. "Brazil is just a bully, isn't he? He tormented me at school, and that foal simply doesn't understand what we're trying to do." The Rockefilly grunted in frustration and sipped his drink, practically spitting it out when the Baron pulled out his artifact. "Dear Celestia, don't tell me that's actuall-" His words were cut short when Bell Curve confirmed his suspicions. "How in Equestria did you get your hooves on that?!" Maximilian shook his head. "Never mind that... you want my help? I'm just a business pony, I'm not very useful outside of the office.... why not get somepony else?" He swished the whiskey around in his glass, looking a little concerned.

Max listened carefully, giving the Baron his undivided attention. The story shocked him, and he nodded respectfully as the speech continued. The Rockefilly took a small sip of his drink, also enjoying it as a connoisseur, letting the strong mixture sit on his tongue before swallowing. He gently placed the glass down, and when there was a small pause, Max tried to squeeze a word in. "Well, I would certainly call them thieves! Stealing your title simply because you're a pegasus? They must never have studied genealogy! And another thing..." He was cut off by the baron's words, and he froze up when he heard them. "Bra... Brazil Nut? How do you know him?" Max looked at the Baron, returning the pegasus' smile with a look of pure amazement. "I have a history with that stallion, but I didn't know you had problems with him as well!" Taking a moment to recollect himself, Maximilian sipped his drink again. "Well... this is an interesting development... he muttered to himself as he waited for the answer to his question.

Max smiled as his friend spoke, as a foal, the Rockefilly found real friends in short supply, and Bell Curve was the only other pony his age that Max really enjoyed being around. His friend's story, however, made Max's jaw drop. "They what?!" The Rockefilly was so surprised that he almost didn't notice the baron taking the paperweight out of his pocket. As they went down the stairs, Max kept the conversation going. "What happened? How could they do that to you?" He motioned towards one of the chairs with a hoof and allowed the Baron to sit as he levitated out a bottle and some glasses. It was one of his finer whiskey's, an aged one that had a very smokey finish; the perfect conversation drink for two buddies. "Here, an aged whiskey, oak barrel, a few decades old, smokey finish, just a simple drink. Now... you have to tell me what happened!" Pouring a glass, he trotted over towards the chair opposite the baron, taking care to 'accidentally' trip over, almost dropping his glass. He caught himself right next to the Baron, and on the way up, he slipped a bit of magic into his pocket and pulled the paperweight out. Tucking into his pocket, Maximilian finally took his seat and passed a filled glass to the Baron. "I mean... what could you have possibly done?!"

Max didn't have to go far to find the pony responsible for the disappearance of his paperweight. He was about to call for security, but something about the Pegasus made him hesitate a moment, he just seemed so familiar. Before the Rockefilly could say anything, the pegasus tossed the paperweight into the air and caught it, but Max was more focused on the pony's words. He gaped slightly, more out of shock than anything else. Could this really be...? "B-bell curve?" The look of surprise on Maximilian's face slowly dissipated, and the rich unicorn took an apprehensive step foreword, angling his head slightly. "Is that you?" The look on the other pony's face told him all he needed to know, and a wide smile broke out on Max's face as he quickly closed the gap between them. "You old scoundrel! Four bucking years, you know that?" He wrapped a hoof around the pegasus' shoulder and brought him in for an embrace, using his free hoof to expertly tear the paperweight from the Baron's hooves. "An artifact, for me? I'll take it!" Max chuckled warmly and tucked it into one of his pockets. "Don't tell me you're still sore about this thing, I made the higher bid, I bought it fair and square!" The unicorn pulled back to smile at his dear friend. "My goodness, it's been far too long." He motioned with a hoof towards the stairwell. "Please, go downstairs, let's have a drink, we need to catch up! Max stepped in front of the Baron and led the way to the stairs.

Out of all of his offices, the Canterlot one was Max's favorite for relaxing. His large oak desk sat in the middle of his ornate office, and he sat right behind it on a large, imposing chair. Sighing heavily, he once again took a look at the paperwork before him, racking his brain for the answer that had eluded him. Business was more than just a job for Max, it was his life, and coming across something he couldn't solve both infuriated and motivated him. The stack of papers mocked him, and the Rockefilly started mindlessly picking up papers and glancing at them, hoping that some random word or number would lead him in the right direction. He rested his head in his hooves and sighed again, thoroughly upset by the lack of progress. Maybe a break would clear his mind and get him on the right track. With a squeak, Maximilian got out of the chair and rounded the desk. Before he left the room, he stacked the papers again and set them on his desk. Levitating it over with magic, the rich unicorn placed one of his prized possessions, an ornate and golden paperweight, on top of the stack to keep them in place. He had fond memories of it, the form and craftsman ship drew his attention the first time he saw it, back when he was a foal, touring the antique shop with a dear friend. They spotted the object, and both of the young ponies wanted it, but Max was able to make the higher offer, he would tease his friend about it for a while after, but that was years ago. The memory was a bit hazy, but Max could still remember the frustrated yet happy look on his friends face as Max out-bid him for it. Chuckling, the Rockefilly turned away to finally leave his office. The trademark tuxedo sat uncharacteristically loose on him, and his tie barely stayed around his neck as he trotted upstairs towards the kitchen for a drink. He didn't stay long, only a brief sip of some aged scotch and the Rockefilly was ready to go back to work. With a deep breath, the rejuvenated stallion bounded downs the flight of stairs, intent on getting his work done. Forcefully pushing the door to his office open, Max advanced towards his desk, filled with confidence. He looked down at his papers, but something wasn't right. Maximilian put a hoof on top of his papers, and his eyes widened with realization. The paperweight was gone! He was sure that he had put it right there... but where was it now? He couldn't have lost it, there was no way! Did somepony come into his office and steal it? But who would want to steal a paperweight when he had things that were ten times as valuable? Max's mind raced as he started to look around his office, opening drawers and looking under the desk, hoping that he was overreacting about the whole 'theft' thing. Frustrated, Max eventually just started pacing around the room, muttering to himself. After a few moments of that, he snorted and slammed the door to his office open, looking around wildly. "Ok, where is it?" he shouted at nopony in particular.

A prod to Martel's shoulder grabbed his attention, but he was still unable to respond. A grunt was the only thing that could escape his lips, and it was a weak one at that. The Germane mercenary opened his eyes, and found himself face to face with a rather unimposing mare. He didn't know Rivet was a mare, but that mattered little at this point, he was merely glad that somepony was there to help him. She had a concerned look on her face, and Martel replied with a rather pathetic and pleading look of his own. Exhausted, Martel was unable to provide much of an explanation for himself. Hopefully she wasn't too scared or suspicious, but he hadn't been stabbed or otherwise attacked by her, so that was a good sign. His mind raced as he felt a magical grip on his shoulders, accompanied with a few pushes on his flank. Don't panic, Martel, you're just being dragged into a place you have never been before by a pony you don't know in the middle of a rainstorm and nopony knows where you went. He didn't have much time to worry, however, as the journey was a very short one. The large stallion was finally inside the lighthouse, and the sights and sounds were lost on him as just the smell struck him. He breathed raggedly, gulping down the thick air that stunk of machinery and smoke that suddenly overwhelmed him. At least I am out of that damned rain. She seemed to understand, and just as soon as the purple stallion felt like he would receive help, she did the one thing he didn't want. She left. Ach, she's leaving me? Martel mentally reprimanded himself, wishing that he could have managed to at least introduce himself before this all happened. Before his panic had much time to set in, he heard her hoofsteps as she returned, and the gentle sound of cloth piling up next to him drew his attention. Martel shifted on the ground, trying to look at the mare and what she had brought him. Towels? How nice... He felt a weak smile grace his lips as he looked up at the mare. Reaching out with a hoof, the large stallion grabbed all of the towels and wiped down his face and shoulders while still on the ground. Sure, the grease on the towels dirtied him up, but he was more concerned with being dry than being clean. After using each and every towel to dry only a small part of his upper body he tossed them aside and struggled to stand, obviously having trouble with his rear left hoof. Taking a few more deep breaths, Martel looked around and tried to get back into a comfortable rhythm. "Danke... Frau." He closed his eyes and took another breath, his right hoof clutching his chest, before continuing. "Your hospitality is... welcomed, and I am glad to be arriving here." "My name is Martel Von Starkhuf. I am needing somepony to fix my leg, and I was told by some associates that you are the pony to be seeing. You are a mechanic, Ja?" Shaking a bit, still trying to recover from the grueling journey, he looked at Rivet. She was small, but something about her impressed Martel. Apparently she lived alone, in a light house, with a bunch of machines, and was brave enough to let a complete stranger into her home. He tried to smile, hoping to calm down the frightened mare. He waited for her to answer his question. She does not speak? Maybe she is silent type... I will keep talking then. The purple mercenary lifts his left rear leg, showing to Rivet his practically destroyed brace that dangled off of his stunted leg. "This is why I was arriving here in such a state, my brace broke and I had to drag myself up here." With another pleading gaze, Martel looked down at the smaller pony. "Will you be helping me, Frau Rivet?" She didn't really answer for a moment or two, and Martel tilted his head, returning her confused look. "Can you be speaking?"

Max was glad that Ace accepted the gift, he was worried that he may see it as some sort of insult, but it didn't seem to be that way. "If we meet again, I'd be glad to play... for higher stakes, perhaps?" He smiled wide and winked at the stallion across from him. The Rockefilly sort of wished that they would encounter each other again, he would love to play this stallion in another game of cards or battle of wits. "Well, Ace, I'd better be going, good luck to you, sir." He bowed to Ace and took a step back, ready to leave.

Max smiled, glad that Ace at least tried not to seem like a poor sport. He chuckled and shook his head. "I guess I'm a pretty lucky pony, and I'd be a foal not to take what I have and be thankful for it. I'd love to play a few more games, but I'm not willing to take a chance on lady luck, she's a fickle mare." The Rockefilly extended a hoof and offered a smile. "It was a pleasure... Ace. You managed to keep me entertained, and gave me quite a scare, not many ponies can say that." He motioned with his eyes, towards the bits. "You deserve something for your time. How about a thousand?"

Max wiped his brow, clearing the small amount of sweat that had accumulated within the last couple of moments. He was passed the deck of cards, and he wasted no time in shuffling them. He wasn't used to dealing with cards, so his shuffles were uneven and slow. After only a few moments, he was satisfied with how the cards had been distributed, and he set three piles out on the table in front of him. He reached for the top card of the first pile and slowly turned it over, revealing a ten. He exhaled in relief and paused to recollect himself. Max never suspected that he would get so worked up over something so trivial. The top of the next pile was turned over, and it was revealed to be a two. Another grateful exhale and the Rockefilly's shoulders sagged in relief. Only one more card to go, and it was the most important of them all. He reached out with a hoof and grabbed the top card of the third pile. He paused a moment, glancing at the stack of 10,000 bits, and then flipped the card over and slammed it onto the table. His hoof was covering it, and when he slowly pulled it back, there was a 6 under his hoof. "Well I'll be!" Max exclaimed gratefully. With a giddy chuckle he faced Ace and smiled. "There you have it, the luck of the draw."

The rules of the game were presented to him, and Max nodded to show that he understood. It seemed like good odds, but Max didn't make it as a business pony without learning how numbers worked. It wasn't as fair as it seemed, but he simply shrugged it off. He grinned coyly at Ace, letting him know that he couldn't pull the wool over his eyes with such word play. "I have some misgivings about whether or not it's as fair as you make it out to be, but I accept." Max smiled and motioned with a hoof, signaling that he was ready to play. "Let the game begin."

Max put a hoof to his chin, contemplating his options. A magIc trick simply wouldn't do, he needed something better to wage his money on. The Rockefilly sighed and shrugged. "You pick the game, I'll simply play it. Although I do suggest you pick something easy, I'd rather not lose 10,000 bits over a misunderstanding." He followed Ace's gaze to the bits, and he chuckled loudly. "You're eager to start, no? Then pick the game and let's begin.

Max smiled in response, he was glad that Ace had accepted to play, instead of merely being given the bits. His grin faded when Ace decided that a new game was in order, but Maximilian was a pony of his word, and he nodded. "Of course, a new game is in order." He motioned with a hoof, sweeping it in front of him. "You may choose the game, any one you like. The wager stays the same, 10,000 bits." There was a hint of nervousness in his voice, 10,000 bits was a large wager, but he was also a bit happy at the prospect of a new challenge. Even if he lost, he was ok with giving this stallion that many bits, although he wouldn't throw the game, that just wouldn't do.

Max frowned, realizing what he had just done. He didn't mean to insult the stallion, but that's what had happened, better to just try and fix things. "Listen, I was really impressed with you earlier, I was thinking of making an 'investment'. Just two thousand bits to show my respect, and maybe help you out a little. So here, take them." Max paused and grinned. "Or..." "You can play me and win 10,000 bits. Either two thousand guaranteed, or you take a risk and play for five times more, if you lose, you get nothing.." The Rockefilly jingled his coinpurse, now he knew how to talk to the stallion. It was about challenges and respect. Hopefully this could be an interesting wager for Ace.

HEY I KNOW YOU. That is all.

Max grinned wide as he followed Ace's eyes. The other stallion was tempted, but the Rockefilly could sense he wouldn't try anything. He racked his brain, trying to think of how to respectfully give Ace some bits. He didn't want it to seem like he was giving out of pity. "Sounds pretty good..." The number of bits grew, and the unicorn started to organize them into stacks until two thousand of them sat on the table. Max didn't say anything afterwards. Maximilian looked at Ace with a wide smile and motioned towards the stack with a hoof.

Maximilian simply shrugged and started pulling out a steady stream of coins from his pouch. He was going to give the stallion some bits, not like some donation or some pity fueled charity. Before he would hoof over any bits, he wanted to see just how trustworthy this stallion was. "I think everypony hates losing, it isn't fun. Also, I'd hate to go up against you with any of those other games, I like my bits where they are." The rich Stallion nodded and looked back to his bag, still extracting a steady stream of bits. "So... How'd a smart Stallion like you end up out here?"

Max smiled warmly, hoping to show that he wasn't upset or angry with Ace. "Pleased to meet you, Ace. I just want you to know that I was quite impressed. You actually had me fooled up until those last two plays." He gave a small tug on his tux and straightened up. "I came back home for a visit, and I saw quite a commotion here in the street, so I decided to take a look. At first, I thought this was some simple game, was I wrong!" The Rockefilly took a deep breath. "I know a lot of ponies would call you a scam artist... but I think they're not giving you enough credit. The only difference between you and I is that I swindle ponies in the board room, and for just a bit more bits". He grinned and pulled his coin purse out again. "Heck, if you hadn't used the same trick every time, you may have gotten me that last time. I just had to lure you in with medium bets until I could figure it out. I'm surprised that I won, myself." Max chuckled. "I didn't mean to embarrass you or anything, In fact, I'd say I'm the one with a bit of egg on his muzzle. I had to fight my way back to even against you, and that's not something I take lightly. No hard feelings?" While he asked, he opened up his magical bag of coins and looked inside.

The other pony tried to get him to change his mind, and with that, Max knew he won before the card was even flipped over. Cheers erupted from the crowd and Max swept all the bits on the table towards himself, grinning like a foal that had just been given extra allowance. His smile soon faded when he saw the look on Ace's face. He kept up the charade, enthusiastically counting the coins and beaming, flashing a smile to the whole crowd. He was a bit proud of himself, he'd managed to get his way out of a hole, and with 300 bits profit too! Heck, even small victories felt good. After the crowd finally dispersed, no longer enthralled by the prospect of a street game, Max approached Ace. He wasn't really sure what to say, or how to start off the conversation. What does one say to a pony that tried to scam you out of your money? Taking a deep breath, Max extended a hoof and smiled. "I guessed on the last one.. well, not totally. I knew not to guess the one on the right because that's where it was supposed to be... My name's Maximilian by the way. Maximilian Rockefilly Jr, and I'd like to have... a little chat with you."

The cards shuffled, and Max wasn't even given his freebie. Max was quick on the uptake, and he didn't lose sight of the ace. He just watched and waited, his eyes darting back and forth as he observed everything that went on in front of him. He leaned forward, drinking in every single twitch and every single movement from the stallion. Eventually, he spotted the move and lost the ace. When the cards stopped, he had to take a moment to observe the three cards. He knew not to choose the right one, that was the bait. That left the middle card and the left card as the only viable options. Maximilian scratched his chin and put a hoof on the table in between the two cards. It was a fifty fifty chance, and Maximilian was sure to take a deep breath before making his choice. Only moments after the cards stopped, the Rockefilly's hoof lightly touched the card in the middle. "This one." Max had a smile on his face, hiding the fact that he was truly anxious on the inside. He had no clue if he was right, but by Celestia, he needed to look like he was. Twenty five hundred bits were on the line and even though that was pocket change to Max, the large crowd around him spurred the stallion on and urged him to beat the scam. Heck, he didn't even think it was a scam in the first place, if ponies were dumb enough to fall for it... like he himself was at first, then they didn't deserve whatever they had wagered. Max knew that he wanted a little chit-chat with this pony after all was said and done. But for now... to see if he had guessed correctly.

Max sighed in fake frustration and kicked at the ground with a hoof. With some dramatic flair the Rockefilly examined his coin purse and looked at the impressive stack of bits on Ace's side of the table. On the inside, he was elated. So it wasn't that he was wrong before, he just hadn't spotted the movement. He had a few choices here, he could throw another round and be sure of things... or he could go for it all and take his chances. The rich unicorn scoffed and turned his pouch over. "You know what? One more game, 2,500 bits. I might as well go for it, right? I mean, I'm bound to lose anyway." With a look of absolute dejection on his face, Maximilian dumped a pile of coins on the table and quickly organized them into even stacks that rivaled Ace's. "Well, let's try this one more time." He was happy, but still a bit nervous. All Max knew was not to guess what he thought it was, only to guess the not-obvious choice. It was a 50-50 shot, but he had to take it. If he got lucky, the Rockefilly could break even and teach this con-pony a lesson. As much as he hated being cheated, the business pony couldn't help but admire Ace. His old ways weren't much different, although he cheated others in the board room, not on the streets. Max wanted his bits back, but he knew that a small talk afterwards would go a long way to prevent any sour feelings, regardless of the outcome. Shaking his head to focus, he pointed towards the table. "Deal them out, last game."

Max watched harder than before, but still with the stupid grin on his face. The cards moved fast but he wasn't looking at them, he was more interested in the hooves. They were almost a blur, but he could still make out the feints and swaps as the Stallion tried to con more money out of Max. Near the end, A flick of the hoof and Max's eyes widened a bit. That was it... a slick move that faked everypony out and moved the card to the side. At least, that's what he thought. He couldn't be sure, but Maximilian didn't have anything else to go on. According to the cards, the Ace should be in the middle, but the hooves told a different story. Max was sure it wasn't in the middle, but he didn't know which one of the other cards it was. There was only one thing to do... take a dive. Max smiled wide and pointed to the middle card. "There we go... that one." If he picked the right one, the stallion may worry that he'd been figured out. Maximilian had to lose again if he wanted to get everything back... and more. He had to admit, so far he was impressed with the street stallion's prowess, and Max was already thinking of a way to make sure both ponies got something out of this little encounter. For now; however, there was a more pressing matter... the game at hoof. With a dramatic deep breath, Max watched in 'anticipation' as he waited for the winning card to be revealed, knowing full well that he had once again lost.

Max lost... again. He took a deep breath and looked at the pony across the table do a victory dance, that alone motivated Maximilian to continue. A small filly came up to him, and the Rockefilly could only smile down at her. "Of course, it's just a bit of fun." Keeping the aloof smile on his face, Max plopped more bits on the table, still thinking his plan through. Hopefully he could watch this one closer and see exactly where he was losing track of the ace. "Another game, 700 bits." He couldn't help but grin slyly as the bits plopped on the table, almost seeing the bits in Ace's eyes. This game would be a bit more important, but Max had a plan. All he needed to do was watch... there was a pattern to be found, he just knew it. This game would be all about watching the hooves, not the cards. If he could just find one slip up, one slick move, maybe Max could find where the Ace really went. "Let's see if I get lucky this time."

Max narrowed his eyes, watching the cards intently, refusing to take his eyes off of them for even a moment. A smile was still on his face, an attempt to throw off the stallion during his game. The cards shuffled just as fast as before, but Max was at attention, observing every movement and every slip, hoping to catch something that would help him win. He may be the richest pony in Equestria, but he still didn't like losing money. Even though he could spare a few thousand bits, he wanted to save face. A few shuffles in, and Max was doing well, the ace was on the move but Max could keep up. This time, he didn't blink, and when the cards came to a stop he actually felt confident. The Rockefilly had watched the cards the whole time and he was sure that it was on the left. With a slight hesitation, the rich stallion put his hoof on the card and looked up at the pony across the table with a grin on his face. "Here.... it's this one." He lifted his hoof and waited to see if he was right. The plan was going ok, as long as he could keep playing and getting more data, eventually he could break the system and get the big win. If he didn't get his money back here, it would take a bit of work.