In Guts and Glory

“Ms. Cheerilee?” Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo and Applebloom all gasped. “Sorry girls but this is what has to happen” Ms. Cheerilee muttered as she stood beside Masterson with a cold smile. “But why?” the trio asked and she chuckled, “well it was brought to my attention that once again our cheerleading team was performing terribly and I couldn’t suffer another defeat against the Aero-Cats, and after Masterson and I stayed late one evening, both on our own accord we realized we had something in common so we conducted a plan to solve our problems” Ms. Cheerilee explained, the entire group sat there in awe. “But Ms. Cheerilee” the trio gasped again, “but Ms. Cheerilee” Masterson taunted, Cheerilee shot him a cold glare.

“Masterson, I may not share the same blood lust as you do so don’t for a minute think I won’t kill you as well” she threatened insanely. Masterson took a cautious step back and surrendered to her demands, “sorry girls but this was the only way” Ms. Cheerilee apologized, she was apologizing for killing them kind of creepy. “But how does this even work” Thunder Shot asked, Ms. Cheerilee gave an irritated sigh, “simple all I had to do was make it look like Masterson died, then he did the rest of the killing while I provided him with technical support, your locations, shutting down the lights etc.” She announced, “like the elevator I simply cut the power from the fuse box and when Masterson was done I turned the power back on, or like when I told Masterson your locations so he could easily ambush you” she laughed taking great pride in her work.

“You won’t be able to get this past the police” Thunder Shot argued, Ms. Cheerilee took out a rag and picked up Reggie’s pistol as she holstered her own, “of course I can, you see Reggie here was the culprit and he hanged all of you on those nooses over there” Ms. Cheerilee said pointing to the noose ropes, “speaking of which would you all be dears and put yourselves in them it’s not easy for me to lift you ponies anymore, you’ve all grown up” she asked politely like it was some simple task.

“FUCK YOU” Thunder Shot yelled as he charged towards Cheerilee but she was quick to shoot Thunder Shot right through the chest, he fell over instantly, Tiara screamed and knelt beside her colt-friend. “No please be dears and get in the nooses, the police will be here any moment” Ms. Cheerilee ordered a little more assertively. The rest of the group obeyed reluctantly, Rumble brushed up beside Scootaloo “Scoot I’m sorry this is how it ends” Rumble apologized, Scootaloo looked Rumble in the eyes and brought her face close to his and the both kissed each other passionately.

“Enough of the love scene hurry up” Masterson ordered, Scootaloo and Rumble broke away from their passionate kiss as tears rolled from each other’s eyes, “Rumble, I love you” Scootaloo cried, Masterson got agitated and pushed them both towards the nooses.

Reluctant to put their heads in the nooses Masterson tightened each noose. “Well now for the final act” Ms. Cheerilee began as she handed Masterson the Glock pistol, still wrapped in cloth as they walked over to Reggie’s dead body. “You see Reggie had a sick mind and hanged all of you, but after I heard commotion from the stage I hurried to see what was going on but was too late to save any of you” Ms. Cheerilee began, “as I drew my revolver Reggie got a shot off at me” she laughed and Masterson, without any sort of hesitation, shot Cheerilee in her side and she fell in pain, “but you see Reggie wasn’t very good with a gun since he had lost so much blood from having to amputate his limb earlier while trying to kill Masterson, now very disoriented I was able to fire off one very accurate round, a bullet which stopped his massacre. And with both the football and cheerleading teams dead we will have to drop out, but not a forfeit and ponies will forever remember that as the year that Canterlot could have won the championship but didn’t because of a truly devastating disaster” Ms. Cheerilee explained as she kicked the chairs out from underneath the remaining group members.

The hung there for only moments before loud thunderous gunshots went off. BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM, the thunderous gunshots were deafening and with each consecutive shot one of the noose ropes were torn apart by a .50 Cal. AE bullet. The remaining group members fell to the ground and began gagging and gasping for air, Scootaloo and Rumble embraced each other in a hug.

“What the fuck is happening” Cheerilee shouted, “I don’t know” Masterson yelled out but was cut short as a .50 Cal. bullet slammed into his skull, his skull was shattered into multiple pieces as the bullet tore through his brain like warm butter. His face was torn apart and only a little of his neck was left when his body hit the ground, the remainder of his head was splattered all over the curtain behind him.

A magazine hit the floor with a ‘clink’ and a new magazine could be heard being loaded into a handgun along with a ‘click’ from the slide locking shut and loading a new round. A lone figure, walking on his hindlegs, wearing a duster coat and holding a Desert Eagle .50 cal. pistol in his right hoof approached. “That was a beautiful monologue but I think your story has come to an end” the figure chuckled.

“What… how did you… Masterson disposed of you” Cheerilee hissed, “yeah he disposed of me alright, I’ve spent the last hour stuck in a fucking trash dumpster and the bottom of a garbage chute” the figure replied. He tilted his desperado hat upwards relieving his face.

* * *

The group left the science lab and that left only Hammerhead and the cloaked figure. The figure laughed insanely and rolled back his hood, revealing himself to be Masterson. Hammerhead gasped and hesitated but that was all Masterson needed, he swung his scythe at Hammerhead but Hammerhead was easily faster and simply grabbed the scythe by its handle stick and swung Masterson around and released him, he flew into another chemistry set.

He stood up and charged Hammerhead but rather than try and hit him head on he shifted his body a little to the left just as Hammerhead moved to the left to try and dodge him, Masterson slammed Hammerhead against a door and the door broke down. They rolled on the floor and fought for dominancy. Hammerhead easily beat Masterson and rolled on top of Masterson and began to punch him in the face relentlessly, Masterson swung his lower body upwards and Hammerhead lost his balance and fell into the garbage chute, letting out an anguished yell as he fell downwards. “Cheerilee” Masterson called Cheerilee on his headset, “report” Cheerilee ordered, “Hammerhead has been… disposed of” Masterson quoted.

* * *

“So I’ve spent the last hour in a fucking trash dumpster, it was smelly, dirty and I just want to go home and drink some fucking apple cider” Hammerhead yelled. Cheerilee dove for the Glock pistol, still in Masterson’s grip, Hammerhead attempted to get a shot off but didn’t expect her to dive backwards, Cheerilee grabbed the pistol in both hooves and shot Hammerhead 3 times in the chest in rapid succession. Hammerhead staggered back and fell off the stage.

Cheerilee got up and swayed her hair out of her face, “well now that that’s taken care of” she began but another thunderous BOOM rang out and Cheerilee was struck in the shoulder by .50 cal. slug and she spun and hit the ground. Her shoulder completely annihilated she scampered to the back stage area. Hammerhead got back onto stage and shot again, striking Cheerilee in the back ankle and tearing off her hind hoof. She fell in agony with a shriek of pain but suddenly a stage prop slid down and obstructed Hammerhead’s shot.

“Shit” he muttered as he barreled through the castle prop, but Cheerilee was waiting for him and shot him 3 more time in the chest, already off balance from standing on his hind legs, Hammerhead fell back just in time to miss another trio of rounds shot by Ms. Cheerilee. Cheerilee approached Hammerhead but Hammerhead pointed his pistol at the ceiling and shot a support rope and a stage prop of another castle fell between them.

Cheerilee let out a scream of irritation and Hammerhead one again stood back up on his hind legs and slid around the corner of the prop, “I will have my championship” Cheerilee screamed as she fired off the remainder of the guns ammunition towards Hammerhead, 2 more rounds struck him in the chest but Hammerhead had slide past the majority of the bullets. “No championship for you” Hammerhead quoted and fire off a single .50 cal. round, the bullet slammed into Cheerilee’s chest and sent her tumbling across the floor as the sheer force from the bullet knocked her body across the stage.

Hammerhead staggered up and approached the group, “we’re gonna get in sooo much shit for this” Hammerhead said as he picked up the body of his football captain, his good friend Thunder Shot, and tossed him over his shoulder. “The Thermite should be burned through by now” Pipsqueak announced and the group walked up to him, “are yah alright?” Applebloom asked worriedly, “I’ve been shot, of course I’m fine, football practise is more brutal than this” Hammerhead joked but he knew that his wounds were probably sever and would need immediate medical attention.

Holstering his Desert Eagle, Hammerhead along with the group left the theatre and made their way to the front entrance were the Thermite had indeed burned through the doors. They all crawled out but were met by spinning sirens and police officers. “Lay down your weapons and surrender” a police officer ordered. They obeyed the orders, minus Hammerhead who kept his Desert Eagle holstered, and they got on their knees to show that they surrendered.

Police officers approached with guns drawn but immediately recognized Thunder Shot, Rumble, Pipsqueak and Hammerhead from the local newspaper. “Get a fucking paramedic in here now” the police officer screamed and immediately paramedics with stretchers approached, they placed Hammerhead on a stretcher and Thunder Shot on another as they checked for a pulse on Thunder Shot. They immediately rushed him to the ambulance waiting and got a respirator on him, meanwhile Rumble and Scootaloo sat in each other’s comfort knowing that they were finally safe, and sharing another passionate kiss.

As the paramedics wheeled Hammerhead passed the group, Hammerhead held out his hoof “hey promise me something” Hammerhead groaned, they all looked to him intently, “anything” Tiara offered. Hammerhead let out a pained groan as the stretcher bounced on a bump, “are yah going tah be okay” Applebloom asked worriedly. “Yeah I’ve been through worse but listen could you all do me a favour?” Hammerhead asked again, they all replied in perfect chorus “anything”. Hammerhead looked at them with a slight smile rising up on the edges of his lips and told them his request “can you come visit me in the hospital, that place is lonely”