One Shot, One Chance

by SpeederClaw

Chapter 40: Breakdown

With the gentle aura of Ponyville lost and the shadows of death sifting through the wind, two figures still fought despite the calming of tensions. Gray Shark continuously dodged Platinum Chain’s now reckless attacks. Each silver swing from the mare was that of frustration and confusion.

“Are we done here?” Gray Shark asked as politely as possible.

Platinum Chain’s eyes darkened under her green hood. “I can’t believe that they ditched me…that he ditched me. He promised,” she muttered painfully.

“Something wrong?”

Platinum Chain grinned. “Wrong? Oh nothing’s wrong except that you’re not giving up already.”

“Why should I? In fact, why don’t we both just stop right here right now. Why are we even fighting,” Gray Shark said nonchalantly.

Platinum Chain paused. She opened her mouth to say something, but silently cursed as she found her counter. “I don’t know.”

“Then let’s stop.” Gray Shark eyed Platinum Chain hard as she stopped and lowered her chains. Her arms folded across her chest and she sighed. “That’s better,” Gray Shark said retracting his blade. “Now, let’s talk about this.”

“Sure.” Platinum Chain responded with a quick flick to Gray Shark’s face that sent him staggering back. “Oops, sorry. Had to get the last his in, Mister,” she said with a wink.

Gray Shark furrowed his brow, but nodded. “And so ya did,” he said rubbing his cheek with nostalgia. “What will you do now.”

Again, Platinum Chain found herself shut down by the statement. “Not sure,” she said quickly with feigned confidence. “I dunno.”

“Sounds like a personal problem.”

Platinum Chain frowned. “I just don’t know.” She eyed Gray Shark cautiously.

“Don’t you have an idea-”

“Why do you care so much about me?”

Gray Shark tipped his hat. “Just checkin’ your motives. Why were you with those guys in the first place?”

“I don’t have to answer to that-”

“Is it because you can’t?”

Platinum Chain raised her hoof to stop the verbal assault. “Listen here. I don’t have to tell you anything about me. You don’t know me and I prefer it that way. Nobody knows me and what I have to do.”

“That’s the wrong way of approaching a problem,” Gray Shark scoffed. “Keeping your problems bottled up only hurts you. Trust me.”

“I just met you and we’re trying to kill each other.”

“You can’t kill.”

Platinum Chain shrugged. “Hmph, I guess I really can’t.” She turned around and made a slow advance out of the battlefield. “I’m leaving.”

“To where?”

Platinum Chain abruptly glanced back at Gray Shark. “Somewhere; anywhere away from this place and from you.”

Gray Shark watched in disappointment as the mare dashed away, chains flailing back. He could still hear the distant clinking after he made his own way back into Ponyville. “Maybe it is better if I don’t know, but she’s with the wrong group. I’m not going to see another girl get turned bad because nobody was there to stop her.” Gray Shark felt his eye patch with his golden hoof. “Not again.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Clyde?” Twilight called out to the emptied square of Ponyville. “The girls have been settled in…everything alright?” She bit her lip in regret.

“Today has been the worst day of my career, Miss Twilight,” Clyde stated staring out into the wasteland of fallen bodies. “I’ve never seen so much death.” The two guards standing side by side next to Clyde shuddered at the thought as well.

Twilight sulked in bitter agreement. “Right.”

“In the past, of course I’ve had to put down a few criminals. Yes, I’ve have to get my hooves dirty…but this-this was a simple slaughter,” Clyde said shaking his head idly.

“I understand.”

“Heh, I-I’ll have to agree with that too,” Brass Dozer said with stifled nervousness. “Even a tough guy like me…this is too much.”

“I agree,” Glass Dozer said eyeing his brother with pale eyes. “This was so awful. I can’t imagine how your friends feel.”

“I can-well unhappily say that this is the absolute worst thing we’ve seen,” Twilight said with an anxious chuckle. “Between almost destroying Canterlot at the Gala and almost being torn apart from my friends during Discord’s chaos, this is just so wrong. I can compare nothing to something as violent as this.”

A dashing shadow swooped in and startled the group. “It appears I missed the carnage.”

“Mister Gray Shark, I’m glad to see you’re still in one piece,” Clyde said still staring off into the bloodied street. “However, you went against my word on keeping watch on both Misters Vice and Enzo.”

“I confess. I’m guilty of absence,” Gray Shark said. “I went against your word and I apologize.”

“I didn’t want to risk having more opposition,” Clyde explained. “To make the enemy less guarding of their opponents is a key strategy.”

“Which didn’t exactly work,” Twilight added darkly. Clyde gulped audibly.

Gray Shark stayed silent and nodded. He gazed onto the fallen path of death just as Clyde did. Taking a few steps, he almost tripped at what he saw. Lying on the ground was the decapitated body of Masquerade Blade. His head was inches away from the corpse. Gray Shark closed his eye and took a deep breath. “So, you met your match here. This marks your grave; your end. You were a skillful opponent, honorable.” Gray Shark tipped his hat off. “Just like me.” He kneeled down and extended his sword just above the chest area. “Rest in peace.”

“Mister Gray Shark-”

Gray Shark’s ears perked up. “Wait, how did you all manage to do this?” He looked at the bodies then at the group. “I’m sorry, but how? It seems too extreme.”

“I understand your concern,” Clyde said finally breaking his gaze and looking straight into Gray Shark’s crimson eye. “These unbelievable ponies-they came and just eliminated those thugs within minutes.”

“Unbelievable ponies?” Gray Shark asked suddenly facing Clyde. “As in not from this world,” he added slyly.

“I’m not sure, Mister Gray Shark. One of them said he was looking for you in particular.”

“Me?” Gray Shark put a hoof to his chin. “Did he have a purple hat? And a sword?”

Clyde nodded firmly. “Yes, the sword and hat were identifiable.”

“…Shit!”

“I’m sorry?” Twilight said with a gasp.

Gray Shark bit his cheek. “No, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to have an outburst.”

The purple mare acknowledged Gray Shark’s mistake. “I can assume that there’s a lot wrong with him according to your reaction.”

“Yes-I’m sorry, again. I haven’t even introduced myself. I am Gray Shark; at your service.” The stallion barely bowed without falling over due to embarrassment.

Twilight smiled faintly. “Hello. I’m Twilight Sparkle; student and scholar.”

“Interesting. Now, can you recall any other individuals associated with the swordsman,” Gray Shark said. “Perhaps, they are just as ruthless?”

“From what I can remember, one of them had a cane in which he was able to cast magic. Another was complaining about his suit and the last sounded very frustrated.”

Gray Shark nodded firmly. “That’s what I thought.”

Twilight shuddered unwillingly. “If you don’t mind me asking…are you also from another dimension?”

“Also?”

“Also. I was told there exists an alternate dimension by certain outsiders,” Twilight said with a smirk.

Gray Shark considered the information given and concluded what she implied. “What gave it away?”

“Just about everything.”

“Heh. Well if you must know, yes, I am a machine, if you will,” Gray Shark said waving his golden hoof. “Turned organic by this world.”

Twilight’s body loosened up as the tension from the day’s carnage seeped out. “Well then I’m definitely going to have to study you, especially that arm of yours.”

“Is that an invitation?” Gray Shark asked with a chuckle. Clyde almost toppled over and Brass Dozer whistled.

“Huh?”

“Uh-never mind. Ahem…so then, I might as well inform you all about myself and my connection to all of this. No more hiding. I trust you.” Gray Shark took a deep breath before taking the next step for clarity. “Now, as you all must know, these Misfit Marauders are not exactly moral characters. In fact, I’d consider them quite evil.” He paused before moving onto the next point. “In my world, or my dimension, there was a portal constructed to be homed onto this world. Vice and Enzo must have already told you this so you know they entered the portal firstly. Their friend, Electric Flair, told them everything was alright. He lied. The portal’s integrity was failing and he had to use his body to sustain it. Lucky for him, that’s when the leaders of the Misfit Marauders showed up.”

The three guards and Twilight showed faces of growing confusion, but nodded automatically for Gray Shark to continue. “That’s when I came in. I knew they were enemies to my friends so I had to follow them into the portal. And I guess everything comes around because my own enemies must have trailed me as well. Let me ask you this: are you all familiar with the seven deadly sins?”

Twilight was the first to answer. “Of course.”

“Good. Then I need not explain what each name means. Those four individuals that appeared today were in fact part of the seven deadly sins; a pact created by their leader, Pride. Only four remain because-well, I’ve taken care of at least two. Gluttony and Lust should not be a problem. Envy…I’m not sure what became of him. Greed, Sloth, Wrath and Pride are all that remain in this world.”

“So many beings from another world,” Twilight said with awe. “Can you tell me all of the serial numbers? I need this for-”

“There are no serial numbers,” Gray Shark answered grimly. “At least not my generation.”

“Generation? How can a species of robots have generations?”

“Let’s just say that after the initial creation of robots, the later constructions were absolved of actual numbers. Records were essentially forgotten as the world succumbed to machines. You didn’t have a number after a while.”

Clyde turned to Gray Shark. “Is this all because of revenge?”

“No, that’s not Pride’s deal.” Gray Shark shifted uncomfortably.

“What is?” Twilight asked.

“To be honest, I don’t even know myself. The other sins follow Pride strictly.”

“I see,” Clyde said rubbing his mustache. “I really am starting to understand all of this. No matter how ridiculous it all adds up to be.” The two other guards shrugged in opposition to understanding the situation.

“Hey,” Twilight asked with sudden concern. “What about Blitz? He’s still missing.”

“So he is, we underestimated his will,” Gray Shark said.

Twilight scratched her head. “How are we going to find him,” she mumbled to herself.

Gray Shark huffed profusely. “Alright, Clyde, when the guards get here set up a perimeter-”

“The guards aren’t here. They never arrived in the first place.”

Gray Shark flinched. “Wha-alright. Okay.” He rubbed his face with growing stress. “Just get everyone secured. Fly overhead and keep watch. Have Twilight keep an eye on Vice and Enzo.”

Clyde grimaced at the orders handed out. “Wait, I will not have Miss-”

“I’m no fool, Clyde,” Gray Shark said sternly. “I know her magical capabilities surpass the average castor, or unicorn, in this world. Should any of the Sins or Misfit Marauders attack, she would most certainly have the upper…hoof.”

The guard pony sighed reluctantly. “I-”

“Clyde, you need not worry. I can handle this,” Twilight defended.

“-I will allow it,” Clyde stated confidently. “What will you do, Mister Gray Shark?”

“Call me the detective. I’m going out to investigate,” Gray Shark said tipping his hat. “I have a solid idea as to where he might be.”

Clyde raised a hoof. “And you’re sure of this?”

Gray Shark shook his head lightly as he started to walk off. “No.”

“What is happening around here?” Twilight said now regaining her stressed composure.

“I fear the pasts of our fellow time travelers have come here to haunt us,” Clyde answered watching the gray speck leave town.

“If not for the daunting situation, I’d say that this is the most interesting thing that’s happened to me so far,” Twilight said.

“So seeing hell is what you mean,” Brass Dozer said.

“Exactly.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“This is complete bullshit; I can’t believe we’re still in this hellhole! We should’ve been out there fighting!” Vice slashed his hoof across the pale white wall as he struggled to get up from his bed. The bandages around him crinkled with crusty blood.

“Vice, you’re lucky you were able to be roomed with me,” Enzo said watching his partner tremble in pain. “You’re also lucky you’re still alive with your wings.”

“Bah, that’s two different things, Enzo,” Vice said with a smile. “I’m feeling just fine bab-ehh!”

“Sure.”

Vice sighed. “I’m just saying we should’ve done something.”

“We did,” Enzo said carefully. “We did something by doing nothing-”

“Goddammit.”

“We’re not as strong as we used to be, Vice, can’t you see that?” Enzo said looking at his partner sternly. “We’re not invincible anymore.”

“Don’t remind me,” Vice said settling back comfortably into his bed. “Don’t make me remember what I’ve become.”

“Hello?” a voice called from outside.

Vice whipped his head around in confusion. “Huh?”

“It’s me, Rainbow Dash. Can we come in?”

“We?” Enzo asked.

“And Fluttershy.”

Enzo gulped hard as the knob slowly turned on the door. Vice wrinkled his nose grumpily as the two mares entered the room. Enzo made eye contact with Fluttershy who quickly averted her own eyes. He could feel his heart shivering.

“So, uh, I assume you guys won,” Vice said with a smile. “Right?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said with hollow eyes. “We won.”

“We’re just here to check on you two,” Fluttershy added dully.

“Okay,” Vice said warily. “It’s not like we’re going anywhere.”

“Hey Fluttershy,” Enzo blurted out. The mare still did not respond to him in any way. “Are you alright? I wish I was out there to help.”

Vice chuckled. “Correction: you wish your good pal Vice was there to help.”

“You weren’t there…” Fluttershy muttered coldly.

The two stallions felt dread creeping upon them. “Yeah, I’m really sorry about that,” Enzo said genuinely. Rainbow Dash bit her lip.

Vice narrowed his eyes. “Yo, what’s wrong?”

“What?” Rainbow Dash said connecting to Vice. “Oh-nothing.”

“Hmph. C’mon, don’t pull that. What’s the matter?”

“Fluttershy, did something happen?” Enzo asked sitting up promptly.

“…”

Vice and Enzo exchanged harrowing glances. Vice rubbed his face before speaking angrily. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“I’m sorry!” Fluttershy cried before bailing through the door.

“No-wait!” Rainbow Dash called chasing after her friend.

“Yo!” Vice tossed his bed sheets aside and tumbled onto the floor. He pounded the ground in frustration. “Frack!” Enzo remained silent. “What in the name of balls just happened?”

“I-I don’t know,” Enzo said getting out of bed. “I’m going after her!”

“Wait-agh! My everything!”

Enzo ignored Vice’s pains and managed to catch up with the two mares. He immediately tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder who instantly jumped around. She completely blocked her face off with her hooves. “Hey?” Enzo asked almost reaching for her face. “Everything alright?” Enzo mentally sighed. ‘What a stupid thing to ask. Of course she’s not alright. But, what else would I say?’

Fluttershy poked her face through her hooves with a frown. “Yes,” she peeped. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” She could not will herself to look in Enzo’s eyes.

“That’s-”

“Holy-what happened to your cutie mark?” Rainbow Dash said pointing at Enzo’s backside. The stallion sheepishly peered at the picture of a silver hoof now half peeling off his body. He cursed out loud.

“I am shedding!” he said with quick bursts.

“It’s fake,” a voice said from behind the group. Vice had crawled all the way from the hospital room with a grin. “All good and fake.”

“Fake? But why?” Rainbow Dash asked astonished at the idea of a cutie mark sticker.

“Because guys like us don’t have what you call cutie mark,” Vice said getting up. “From what we know, those things take a while to get…years. We’ve only been here a few, so naturally it’d be odd for grown up…horses like us to have blank flanks.”

Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stayed astounded. Enzo managed to remove his doctored cutie mark before speaking directly to Fluttershy. “If you see any other grown ponies without a cutie mark, run. Please don’t trust them.”

“…”

“Do you understand, Fluttershy?”

“…Yes.”

Vice grumbled with his body resting on the wall. “Hey.” Faces fell upon him. “I’m gonna be a real asshole for a second. What the hell is wrong with you right now, Fluttershy.”

“Vice!” Enzo shouted abruptly. “What do you think-”

“Enzo…” Fluttershy muttered.

The black stallion’s anger simmered into thin air. “Yeah, Fluttershy?”

“I have to stop seeing you.”

Enzo’s body prickled. “Wait, huh? What do you mean?”

“No…” Rainbow Dash whispered regretfully.

“I can’t see you anymore,” Fluttershy said more sternly. Tears started to roll down her eyes.

“Why?”

The mare took a deep breath before explaining herself. “I’m seeing someone else!”

“Fluttershy, I don’t-”

“I’m going out with Dumbbell!”

The intense breathing of Fluttershy echoed throughout the hospital halls. Rainbow Dash’s pained face shot away as the two stallions stayed stunned. Vice almost fell over as he stumbled with his next words. “What the hell?”

“I’m sorry, I’m just so sorry! I-” Fluttershy clamped her mouth shut and suppressed further sobs. She shook her head spraying tears all about as she ran away from Enzo.

“I’m sorry too,” Rainbow Dash said rushing behind her fleeing friend. “I really don’t know why she’s dating that bully!”

Vice shook in terror. He watched Enzo’s quiet, swaying body with growing sorrow. “No.” Vice tried walking closer to his friend, holding his mouth shut. “Fuck no,” he spat through his hooves. “What the fuck. What the fucking fuck!” Enzo raised his head slightly and glanced at Vice before trudging back into his room. “God fucking dammit, Enzo, no!”

Enzo brushed by the doorway and headed straight for his bed. “This ain’t right,” Vice said still shivering. “That can’t be true!” Enzo ignored Vice’s outbursts and crept back into his bed. He gazed at the ceiling never taking his eyes off the white paint. “Enzo, I-” Vice choked on his words. He tried to hold his mouth even harder, but the tears started to form in his eyes. “No…” Enzo just kept staring at the ceiling.

“I’m sorry,” Vice screamed.

“I am too. I’m really sorry. I’m sorry about everything.” Enzo could hear Vice crying as he felt his body solidify into stone.

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