“Okay, Zapp and Radiance, welcome superhero training 101. Where the street is your classroom, and books are replaced with on-the-job training,” Matterhorn told them while fighting off Salamander.

“That’s good because I’m a hands-on kind of gal,” Zapp said.

“You know darling, that quip worked if your hands weren't electrified,” Radiance said as she dodged Salamander then punch him.

“As if one superhero was annoying enough now there's three!” Salamander exclaimed as he fired a laser from tail.

“There goes an old saying, Three heads are better than one!” Matterhorn retorted as Zapp kicked him.

“No offense, your jokes are horrible, have you stopped a bad guy with comedy?”

Salamander tried to grabbed her but Zapp jumped up and slammed her foot on his head then Matterhorn froze the his hands.

“Nope, there’s always a first time for everything. Like your new gauntlets I made so you won’t cause a blackout in the city.”

“Good idea, take this.” Zapp fired a bolt but missed.

“It works, but you need to work with your aim.”

“I guess I got a few things to learn. You probably did too when you first started out, right?”

“That was only three months, but I guess that counts.”

Salamander broke free and attack the trio.

“I’m not exactly what you call a veteran.”

“Don’t discourage yourself, you are great teacher,” Radiance said. “Who can teach how to save others while being a little reckless and who a great sense of fashion, that narrows it down to you.”

“I’m flattered?”

“Do you ever shut the hell up?!” Salamander exclaimed then his ear piece beep. “Got it. Moving into second position now.”

Then Salamander started to run.

“Where the hell are you going?” Zapp asked while the trio followed him.

“Something’s not right,” Matterhorn said.

“Is your radar thingie working?”

“It’s called Danger Radar and it more of a gut feeling.”

“Care to elaborate on that?”

“What I’m mean is Salamander’s more of a ‘a gloat about his evil plans’ bad guy and he hasn’t mentioned what he’s up to."

Radiance created a dome around him.

“We we’re having a conversation and you suddenly ran off, how rude.”

“Joke all you want. I already did my job,” Salamander left then Jumbotron came on

Over the years, I’ve roamed the jungles of the world, stalking the most most dangerous creatures alive.

“Oh man, The Hunt: Staring Snaptrap is on. It’s my favorite show.”

But today but came to asphalt jungle to hunt something different.

“That us! We’re on TV!”

“As million of people are watching us? How my hair!?” Radiance exclaimed as Snaptrap armed his cannon at them.

“Uh, Zapp, you might wanna a pick a new favorite show.”

“Any last words, Matterhorn?” Snaptrap asked her then noticed something. “Eh? There’s three supers?”

“Don’t worry these reality show are all fake away.”

Snaptrap fire darts from his cannon and the heroes avoided.

“Fake, huh? You really gotta work on that Danger Radar of yours.”

“What is it?” Snaptrap’s earpiece went off. “I told you not to call me when we’re live. You want all three of them? My pleasure.”

“Tranquilizer darts?” Matterhorn picked one of them up. “So maybe he’s not trying to kill us on live TV.”

“He takes his prey home and does it there,” Zapp added with her knowledge on the show. “But it’s all just a show for the camera, right?”

“I wouldn’t be sure, I have feeling that this guy is more about reality than show,” Radiance said as she created a pink shield to block the darts.

…

“Guys, looks,” Sonata grabbed her sisters attention. “The Matterhorn on The Hunt.”

“And who are those two?” Aria asked seeing Rainbow and Rarity in their costumes . “They look familiar.”

“I believe their names were Zapp and Radiance,” Adagio said looking on her phone.

…

“Salamander must’ve been a setup,” Matterhorn said.

“And we were the bait,” Zapp added.

“Yes, and we took it to hook, line, and stinger and we’re still live,” Radiance said.

“Then we better get out of here and come with a plan to deal Mr. Reality a reality check.” The trio made chase.

“Do not fear, good viewers. Snaptrap always gets his target.” As he did parkour to catch up. “I can leap like jaguar, swing with ease on an orangutan, and have the cleverness of an human. Which way did they go?”

“They went that way.”

“Thanks.”

…

“Let’s head to 5th Avenue. I find the wind currents there increases glide speed,” Matterhorn said as Radiance trip over a trap that fires slime balls.

“My word, how on earth did he had time to build it?”

“I forgot. Snaptrap studies his prey’s patterns and then sets traps based on their behavior. He totally knows we’re gonna do!”

“Wait what!?” Matterhorn exclaimed as all three of them dodged the traps they went into a alley. “You’re saying that he booby-trapped all of Canterlot City?”

“Yeah. Pretty cool, right?”

“Are you not the least bit concerned that someone is hunting us?!” Radiance asked.

“Sure, but he has to catch us first.”

Then Snaptrap appeared on his glider.

“Only a matter of time, lassie,” Snaptrap said. “Preferably 22 minutes not counting commercials.”

“One thing’s for sure,” Zapp said as the heroes dodged laser fire. “I am never wearing my Snaptrap Fan Club ever again!”

“Worth every penny,” Caleb said as watch the event in his tower then saw Gunther. “Gunther.”

“What is it?” Gunther asked as walked in.

“My latest plan to capture the power girls. Since my Destroyer wasn’t able to retrieve either of them, I figured why not hire the world’s greatest hunter. Only instead taking them back to his museum for mounting, he’ll deliver them to me for experimenting.”

“And he agreed to this willingly?”

“Snaptrap may be a hunter, but he’s also a businessman, and businessmen are always looking for financial backing. Something I was happy to contribute to.”

Back outside

“The natural urban superheroes in their environment. Amazing… But do not worry, loyal viewers. My Sonic blasts have take down rhinos. I don’t think that they will be a problem.”

“Look at it this way, at least you’re getting practice for you.”

“Only you can find a bright side to this.”

Then a net came out of nowhere and caught Radiance and shocked her.

“Radiance!” Zapp tried to save her friend but was stop by Snaptrap.

“Go on, save you fellow comrade, I’ve already witnessed your analytical minds in action. Show me how compassionate you are.”

“At least I’m not a sidekick,” Radiance said trying to get free. “Don’t know if this work, but hear goes nothing.”

Radiance ripped out the net with her magic and then did a Diamond Kick at Snaptrap, then Zapp did a electro blast at him.

“Way to go you two! That was amazing!” Matterhorn exclaimed.

“I know, what did we do exactly?”

“Figuring out a way to beat Snaptrap.”

“We did?”

“Snaptrap studied my patterns, but you two are still new to whole thing, you don’t even any patterns to begin with.”

“So with us being inexperienced and unpredictable is good thing?”

“Right now it is, so we need to be unpredictable if we want to bring down the hunter himself. Where’s someplace we never go?”

“Department shop?”

“I was thinking the sewer.”

“The sewer? Ugh!”

“Follow me!” Matterhorn open and all of them went down.

“Nothing funny being down here.”

“There’s no way for Snaptrap to set his trap down below ground because I never use the sewers.”

“Brilliant. Unless…”

“Unless what?”

“On the show, Snaptrap also tries to predict what backup plan his target might use.”

“Like, say, going underground?” Matterhorn asked then an energy cage trapped and Snaptrap laughed.

“The hunt is over! I have won! But we expected that did we?”

Zapp tried kicking but it didn’t worked.

“No use, lassie the cage is made of electrified titanium alloy three times stronger than steel. And made by Cages, Incorporated. Available at select hunting outlets. And now the branding iron.”

“Shit, the branding ceremony. It’s the ultimate humiliation before being shipped to his museum.”

“Your knowledge of this show is getting really annoying.”

“My bad.”

“I have defeated many jungle animals, but today I am the victor over something that proved to be difficult to do. Let all who upon them see that were brought down by Snaptrap!”

“Hero lesson! If the bad guy starts to blab disengage his cage.”

Matterhorn fired an electric beam at Snaptrap’s device freeing them then Zapp did an electric kick knocking him back.

“No one escape Snaptrap!”

Radiance blinded him then Zapp fired an electric blast for her gauntlet which electrified him.

“Nice shot.”

“I’m a quick study.”

“Then here’s a lesson in cage crafting.” Matterhorn froze him solid.

“With a little branding of our own!” Zapp chipped the ice with their superhero marks.

“What the matter’s, darling this episode not sticking to the script?”

“Ciao!” all of them left.

“Turn the cameras off now!” Snaptrap shouted.

“What in the hell that idiot doing? This was part of our deal.” Caleb exclaimed.

“I think the Snaptrap’s show is now canceled.”

“That’s cool. My second show is Xtreme Stunts and it’s… oh shit!” Snaptrap was topside.

“You expect to humiliate me and get always with it? For centuries my family has been the deadliest of hunters. But now my rage extends day beyond that, and so you will suffer a slow and painful death that unsuitable for television!” He shot down one of the drones kept on firing.

“Whoa!” Zapp exclaimed as they dodged the darts. “I never seen these and watch the DVD bonus material.”

“That because those are heat-seeking darts, quick over here,” Both Matterhorn and Zapp hid behind the hotdog cart and dart went for them and stick. “Phew! Thank goodness for truth in advertising.”

“Rads, head for a heat source!” Zapp shouted.

“I’m trying, but no luck,” Radiance said loooking for one but one hit her fell to ground and Zapp and Matterhorn got caught in boomerang.

“What did you to her!?” Zapp asked furiously.

“That was a venom fear dart that hit your friend, extracted from the African Cobra,” Snaptrap exclaimed as walked to freaked out Radiance. “It will not only frighten her but if not treated, can scare her to death. The more you struggle, the faster the venom seeps into your bloodstream.”

“No! Get away! Get away!” Radiance shrieked then disappeared.

“Where did she go?” Snaptraped asked.

“Yeah, where she'd go, we're not going found out being stuck here.”

Both both broke free and Matterhorn threw the boomerang right at him.

“Radiance? Where are you?” Zapp called for her. “She couldn’t disappear like that.”

“Maybe thermal vision will help,” Matterhorn set her goggles to thermal mode and got her body heat. “Got it!”

“I get electric blasts, you got magic, and apparently she has camouflage powers how did the hell did that happen?” Zapp asked.

“Not sure,” Matterhorn said then put her on Matterhorn’s back. “Let’s get somewhere safe.”

“Okay, Radiance calm down,” Matterhorn and Zapp were on a top of building and put her down.

“Stay back, villainous brute.”

“I’m not a villain, Rarity, it’s me Twilight Sparkle,” Matterhorn retracted her mask.

“Wait, Twilight Sparkle, Radiance said then pulled her masked off. “Your The Masked Matterhorn?”

“Yes, it’s me and know that is really Rainbow Dash.”

“It’s impossible, I’m freaking out.”

“It’s a lot to take in but you calm down so the venom doesn’t spread through your bloodstream so fast.”

“Okay taking deep breaths," Rarity took a deep breath. “I see things that would’ve give nightmares.”

“Yes, but it also unleashed a power you didn’t even know you had. Cloaking? I mean, come on. Bio-electricity and Crafting along with Cloaking, I wish had powers like yours.”

“How are deal with Snaptrap,”

“First things first, you two need to take breather… part of being of hero is knowing when to fight and when to heal. There will be times when you work together as team, and sometimes but there are other when do things by yourself.”

…

“Sorry! Lunchtime over!” Matterhorn kicked a lion from the tied-up woman and then slammed the cage the untied her then the woman left. “Uh, you're welcome?”

“I don’t know what I like better, Matterhorn,” Snaptrap exclaimed from his glider. “That you took the bait, or that you have become the bait. Feeding time my kitties!”

“You couldn’t have made an army of penguins, huh?” She asked as the lions came from every side.

“Attack!”

“Here, have a seat,” Matterhorn kicked a chair at one them and dodged the others. “This is seriously the worsted petting zoo of all time!”

Then Matterhorn used her magic and the other in cage and froze it.

“This is for own good, I’m not lying get it ‘lying’? Ah, you don’t care. Good kitty, nice kitty. Uh-oh. Well I always wanted to be lion tamer,” Matterhorn forms an electric whip and stopped the lion then form a ball of electricity. “For being kings of the beast your sure love balls, why are growling at me, I’m an animal lover.”

The lion chased after the ball and Matterhorn closed the cage behind it.

“Why don’t you growl at Snaptrap?”

“Because they recognize the true king of the jungle.”

“Not the way I see it,” Matterhorn taunted him.

“You will soon enough,” Snaptrap armed his spear and prepared to strike only Black Hawk to his Sonic scream causing him fall straight to the ground.

“Caleb Simon? You saved me?” Matterhorn asked seeing him.

“ ‘Saved ’ isn't exactly the word I’d use,” Caleb said the Black Hawk came from behind and shock her making her collapse.

Hours Later

“That was shocking,” Matterhorn exclaimed while trying to free herself.

“Struggle all you, my magic friend. Those electromagnetic restraints can hold both man and beast. We had a deal, Snaptrap. I bankroll your Broadcast in exchange for the heroes. But you veered from the plan. And nobody disobeys Caleb Simon.”

Without anyone noticing both Zapp and an invisible Radiance sneak into the lab.

“My honor is my important than your money, Simon. And that Matterhorn disgraced me!”

“We’ll lucky for you, The Masked Matterhorn is not going to enjoy the next few moments.”

Then Black Hawk handed him a vial extractor.

“It didn’t have to be like this Matterhorn. All l asked was to be your friend but you refused. So now I have do things the hard way. You are quite an interesting specimen. At first, I thought you were a freak and an anomaly, but then two more showed up, and my concerns were confirmed. A meta army is on its way, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know what you're talking about.”

“Sure you don’t, but I don’t need you to understand. I just need you to be dissected.”

“Have I mentioned that needles freak me out?”

Caleb went to inject her but the extractor got kicked.

“What the?” Caleb exclaimed and Black Hawk check it out.

“Hey featherhead behind you,” Zapp said kicked him then disappeared. “Practice makes awesome.”

“Whoever you are, be careful,” Caleb armed Snaptrap’s spear. “Don’t make the same mistake Matterhorn did. Join me, and I promise you won’t regret it.”

“No, thanks darling,” Radiance kicked him.

“Gotcha,” Black Hawk heard her voice then let out Sonic Screams the Radiance kicked him.

“Nice moves you got there, but I can’t really tell if your Hawk or a chicken?”

“How about you jolt first and joke second?”

“Patience teach,” Zapp said the free her. “We can totally do this.”

“I’m very proud and a little bit jealous," Matterhorn exclaimed as Black Hawk fire a Sonic blast into a condenser.

“You fool,” Caleb exclaimed. “You’ve ruptured the hydromantic condenser! Get me out of here before the place blows.”

Black Hawk attach his talon to Caleb and flew out of there.

“I think we should follow their lead,” Zapp suggested.

“Hold on.”

“What are you doing? He tried to kill us, remember?” Radiance reminded him.

“Another hero rule: just bad guys tried to kill us doesn’t mean we do the same.”

“Leave me, I failed and deserve to die.”

“Get over it, Snaptrap. You’ve spent so much time in the wildlife you’ve forgotten the part of being human is picking yourself up when you fail. That’s reality. Too bad your viewers can’t see you do that.”

“And for the record,” Zapp freed him. “I’m deleting your show from my DVR.”

“We should get going and where he’d go?”

“There,” Zapp said as Snaptrap left. “Should go after him.”

“No. Nobody got hurt this time. But he crosses the line again, we know where to find him.

Matterhorn, Radiance, and Zapp left the lab.

…
…

“So, that was a pretty terrifying training session, huh?”

“Are you kidding it was awesome but I got one question how did you know it was actually us.” Zapp pulls down her mask.

“Simple, when I fell off due to a Destroyer blowing up, you two saved me,” Matterhorn said. “And also please don’t tell the others about me. To the kids at Nexus High, I just your brilliant scientist Twilight Sparkle. And promise to your secrets as well.”

“Consider our lips sealed,” Both Rarity and Rainbow agreed not to say anything about the Matterhorn identity.

Author's Note

Canterlot High (Lighting's Group)

Lighting Dust

Gilda

Garble

Dragon Cry