Darkness.
Utter and complete darkness.
That was all the stallion could see until the sound of a gruff, masculine voice cut through the furtive sounds that echoed around him through the thick cloth that ever so subtly muffled the voice.
“Wake ‘im.”
The room came into complete light the moment the bag was pulled off his head. The rugged, scarred face of a unicorn stallion close to him before he pulled back. Behind him, four other suited ponies stood close by, all a differing level of intimidating.
“You really screwed up this time, Coal.” A feminine voice from the teenage mare that hovered beside him.

Artist, Lady’s man, A notorious bar-fly, and a silver-tongued piece of shit. That was probably what most ponies saw Coal Cliffs as. It certainly was what the heavens thought, considering they had sent a teenaged guardian angel down to him to try to save his sealed fate of damnation to Tartarus. It wasn’t too far from the truth anyways, honestly.
Mid-30’s with the energy of a frat-colt, Coal was a bit of a loose cannon when it came to making smart decisions. If anything, he was practically allergic to it.
And yet, he didn’t really think he’d ever see the day where he would be face-to-face with one of the most notorious mob families in Manehatten.
Guess there was a first for everything.

The raven-maned stallion gasped for air as he was met with the dim, rickety lighting of the warehouse, trying to get his surroundings and bearings in check. The scarred stallion before him took a step back, his slicked back, silver mane glistening under the rickety lamp, saturated with too much mane gel.
“Y’know why you’re ‘ere?” He asked.
“Don’t suppose it’s my 37th birthday, is it..?”
“Are you trying to get killed?” Indigo asked.
“Told ya we should’ve whacked ‘im.” Stated a smaller, suited unicorn mare that stood a bit aways.
“C’mon, Lighten up Pluto - ‘m sure he’s just a little confused. I think all he needs is a reminder.”
Spoke the silver mane, before raising up the colt pistol in his grip and striking it across the earth-pony’s cheek.

“That’s a mob boss, Coal. ”
That’s what Indigo had first told him when he had sat down to chat with the silver-mane.
“He’s a what now?” Coal whispered over.
The loud chattering of the Manehatten club, accompanied with the club music that faintly pulsed within his body served as a nice suppressor for his side conversation with the invisible angel.
“Luminous Nebula, leader of the Luminaries - He’s one of Manehatten’s most notorious mob bosses. Charismatic, and also sadistic.”
“And you’re literally taking money from him as we speak.”
The envelope was hoofed over to the inebriated stallion, Luminous grinning. “Cheers to generosity, eh?” Their glasses clinked.
“Don’t sweat your wings off, kid. It’s just a little help - What’s the worst that’s gonna happen? I get whacked?” Coal whispered over to the angel, a stupid grin on his face.

“I told you. I told you this would happen!”
Indigo rambled in dismayed frustration, as Coal gasped for breath from the beating he had just taken. The Luminaries grouped to the side as they whispered amongst another about what to do with the earth pony.
“But MEHMEHMEH, I’ll be fine kiddo! What’s the MAFIA gonna do to me?” She mocked in a deeper, gruff voice, impersonating his voice.
“57.” She pointed towards Pluto. “That’s how many ponies she’s killed. You ever kill somepony with a balloon? Because she has.”
“-Okay! I get it, I get it!” Coal huffed out. “I screwed up–” “Again.” “- How ‘bout we focus on gettin’ me outta here?” He’d seethe through a hushed whisper towards the lavender angel, glancing over anxiously towards the Luminaries.
“Y’know, maybe being dead will be good for you.”
“-Oh yea, I bet that’d make for a great resume for you. The guardian angel who can’t even do her JOB.”
Indigo rolled her eyes, before the angel floated away.
“Wait, where are ya goin’?! Kid!” Coal seethed out in a panic, before she was out of his sight.
The stallion stared in dumbfounded disbelief. “Fan-freakin’-tastic. Course I get the angel on probation.” He’d mutter to himself.
“Alright.” Spoke up Luminous, the stallion trotting back over to Coal.
“Good news! We ain’t cement-shoein’ ya!”
Coal’s brows raised in surprise. “Wait, really?”
“Nope.”
“We’re shootin’ ya instead.” Pluto deadpanned out.
With a simple raise of a hoof, Pluto took aim of her colt-pistol straight at the stallion, and pulled the trigger.
“WAI–” Bang.

He was absolutely sure he was dead. This was it.
And yet, in the most particular and bizarre and impossible sequence of events - he wasn’t.
With the pulling of the trigger, the bullet was fired out. Intending to hit Coal square in the head, by some miracle - it missed him by a few inches. Instead, it shot through the thickest frame of the rope that tied around him, before ricocheting off the metal walls, and crashing into the hanging ceiling light above.

Darkness.
Utter and complete darkness.
That was all the stallion could see as ponies cried out in confused exclamation, cursing over one another at what just had happened.

“I’d probably run now if I were you.”
The familiar teenage voice spoke up as her faint glow illuminated the dark room, her angelic halo serving as a beacon to guide as it revealed the now piled rope down at his hooves.
“You’re full of it sometimes, y’know that, right?” Coal looked up.
“You love meeee…~” She’d sing-song, flying towards the exit doors as Coal quickly got up and galloped after with arrogant laughter, as the sounds of blind fireshots echoed throughout the warehouse after the stallion. With that, thanks to the help of his guardian angel, Coal was able to escape and live another day.
Consequence-free, and likely to end up right back where he started.