//------------------------------// // Broken Record // Story: Equestrian Gangster: Blood Symphony // by AlphaOmega //------------------------------// Equestrian Gangster: Blood Symphony By AlphaOmega The stage was set. A pony desperate for a chance. A "friend" willing to give that chance. The chance...wasted. South side Manehatten 2357 hours The building was quiet enough. After all, who wanted to attract attention at 11:00 P.M.? Heh, that's some irony right there, old late night performer Trumpeteer thought to himself. Things had gone completely south after his last performance. He had asked the local mob for a little bit of money to get "started": a simple down payment of 500 bits and he would play at the mob's bars and pay it back and then some. Seemed easy enough...until he got a better job from the East Side. That didn't sit well with the South Side mob and they had decided they would give their former employee a going away party, as well as taking back all the money he'd made. Trumpeteer wasn't so afraid though. East had been kind enough to send a few strong stallions to help him pack and move out. All perks of the job. Now he sat in the top floor of the abandoned warehouse, waiting for his ride. Once it arrived, he'd sneak out the back while a feint went out the front. Trumpeteer laughed to himself. Most mob ponies were so paranoid; he wasn't super precious cargo compared to the money in his suitcase, but nonetheless, they prefered less blood spilled and extra man power to lighten the mood at the gambling halls. The alarm on his makeshift desk rang. It was time to go- BOOM! An explosion from downstairs shook the entire building. South had shown up. Southside Manehatten 2255 hours "Charges are set." The blue haired mare whispered into the walkie-talkie. "Make sure we follow up with the Tommy's and take out as many as we can before we raid." A gray mare's sooth voice responded with a crack. "That wouldn't work. Instinctive to nature, they would begin to duck. We should begin with the grenades to force them into positions. As soon as they start yelling, start shooting. They're bound to move unless they want to end up as smears on the floor and ceiling. That's when our bullets can find a comfy home in their heads." "Roger." Vinyl replied. "Let's get this done. I've got to get back to Granny's for pie." Retorted Applejack. 2256. 2257. 2258. 2259. 2300. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The charges took out 2 guards who were guarding the door. "Take cover! Positions!" Yelled the head mobster. One buy one, the guards ran to grab their shotguns and rifles. They hadn't expected such an abrupt offense. South was known for a drive by and maybe a maltov; they didn't like to be around to long otherwise police showed up. Knocking over tables and grabbing empty crates, they leveled their guns at the door. A metalic object dropped from the window. and then another. And another. And another. "Grenades!" yelled a mobster. In a panic, everyone stood up and ran to the staircase to the second floor. Suddenly, quick bursts of light appeared from the front doors and windows. It was the last light they saw. Twin Tommy's peppered holes into the back walls, forcing the mobsters to duck and cover on the spot. One stallion found himself caught between taking a bullet or losing a leg. Another made it close to the stairs but was gunned down fast. After finishing both magazines, Vinyl lowered the guns. "Move in Tavi." "Don't call me that." The gray mare with a pink bowtie retorted. Adjusting her hat, she pulled out a Winchester and checked her ammo supply. "We go by our codenames. Call me Octavia." A crack came from the walkie talkie. "Hey hey pay attention. Looks like they're comin' down to meet ya." Sure enough, a gun popped up from the top of the staircase, firing blindly and hitting an overturned table. The next shots were just as wide. Nonetheless, Vinyl and Octavia took positions behind a table across from side of the staircase. Empty shells plagued the floor as shot after shot rang out. Vinyl took the moment to take a swig from her flask. Octavia gave her a harsh look. "Really? During a gunfight!?" Vinyl laughed and tucked the bottle away in her vest. "If I die today, I'd like to go down a happy drunk with wubs in my ears (As she also had earbuds on) than moppey like you!" Something rolled between the two of them. Octavia yelled. "Grenade!" In a flash of light and intense heat, the grenade exploded, knocking both of them off their feet. Octavia sat herself up. Her ears were ringing like mad and her vision blurred, but she could barely make out the image of the escaping target. "Oh horseapple." She pulled her walkie talkie out. "Apples! He's on his way to you." ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Trumpeteer grinned to himself. Behind him, a strong force of stallions with riot shields and AKs guarded him as he was escorted to his bullet proof limosine. Inside, he found all manners and sorts of goodies, including a strong bodyguard strapped to the teeth. Reaching for a wine cooler, he grinned. "Don't mind if I do-" An explosion from above rocked the car. Then a literal chunk of rock fell on hood, completely outweighing the back and causing the car's back end to lift into the air. The musician wet his pants. "Hornblower! Stay close!" The bodyguard yelled, getting up. "Those mares are-" Another shot rang out, cutting him off. A pool of blood formed on his vest. The gun stumbled out. "Trumpet! Ya in there? If you're alive, say here!" He didn't move an inch. He knew why they were there. They didn't care about money. If he made a single sound, he was done. Seconds passed. He didn't move an inch. Then, two more voices joined in. "Bah! He's dead." "Not likely. I see only the driver's body. For all we know, the bodyguard is alive with the music body." "It don't matter if he's dead or not. The job was to get the papers." Trumpeteers dared a glance at where the suitcase had slid. Near it, the bodyguard's gun gleamed. The mares each lit a cigarette. "All in a days work huh?" Applejack said. "Pft. I had to drop my gig for the night for this. I'm tired of runnin' around for her royal majesty's butt." Octavia sighed. "Well, get used to it. The DJ gig didn't get you the money you've got. Besides, boss hates techno." "Ahh, she hasn't hear enough-" "ILL KILL ALL YOU MOTHER-" Without so much as a glance, the three mares pointed their guns right in Trumpeteers face. A moment of silence passed between all four of them. "The money is in-" "Shut up." Vinyl retorted. "We know where it is." Trumpeteer smiled. "Hah! As if. It's right he-" With a swift kick to his gonads, Vinyl quickly grabbed the case from the now crying stallion. Checking it was all their, Applejack took the forefront. "So. You're the little runt who tried to get away? I don't see what's so special about ya." She trotted around him. "Small, weak, frail. Probably wouldn't survive a night with Octavia." "Screw off Apples. Let's get going. We got what we wanted." Applejack took one last good look at the soiled stallion. "Good stallions are so hard to find these days." Vinyl pulled around the corner with their car. "Shall we get going mares?" As she opened the door, a single shot rang out. Followed by another. And another. "Oh shit!" Octavia yelled. "It's the chief! Apples, let's go!" "Don't gotta tell me twice!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Manehatten Police Station 0100 hours "Got a pretty good shot in. Make sure you trace the car." "Yea yea. I'll get 'em. Once they go South, we'll have them on the ropes." "They ARE capable." "Bah. They won't make it past security." The police officer pulled back her hood and let her multicolored mane fall. Her coworker laughed. "Well, we got a good lead." She prodded the currently tied up Trumpeteer. "So dearie. You are gonna tell Officer Lulu where this case o' money is."