The Masked Gunslinger (MHA Wild West AU)

Prologue - The Black Widow

In a small town, a mysterious stranger wearing a gas mask arrives on horseback. He saddles his horse near a bar. As he gets off his horse, a young man runs up to him. 

Young Man: Hey! I know who you are! You're Snipe!

Snipe: Congratulations.

Snipe begins walking to the entrance to the saloon as the young man continues to talk with the famed gunslinger.

Young Man: I can shoot six bottles and not miss it once! 

Snipe: Who gives a goddamn?

The young man becomes annoyed at Snipe's obvious lack of interest in him. Just as Snipe prepares to enter the saloon, the young man calls him out.

Young Man: I can take you!

Snipe stops dead in his tracks as the young man lets out a fearful gulp. After a tense moment, the young man reaches for his gun, but Snipe smacks him in the face with his Winchester Rifle, knocking him out cold. After dealing with the young man, Snipe enters the saloon as all the patrons are silent at Snipe's appearance. He then takes a seat at the bar and speaks with the bartender.

Snipe: I'm looking for a man named Red Doc. You seen him?

Snipe then pulls out a wanted poster of Red Doc. 

Bartender: N.....no! Can't say that I have!

Snipe: You sure about that? 

Snipe could see the fear in the bartender's eyes through his mask. He noticed him shaking. He knows that the bartender was hiding something.

Snipe: Put a drink from the bar and go away.

The bartender did just that. As he drank the bottle of whisky through and opening in his mask, a bar girl walks to the bar and pulls a seat next to him. 

Bar Girl: I've seen him.

Snipe: Talk.

Bar Girl: I help you, will you help me?

Snipe: Depends. What kinda help? 

Bar Girl: Enough money to leave town. 

As Snipe finished his drink, he closes his mask and reaches into his pocket. He pulls out some money. More than enough to leave town. The girl sees the money and is surprised.

Snipe: Got me a little paper route.

Bar Girl: Madame Lorraine. She picks the well heeled ones. I've......I've heard stories......

Snipe: What kinda stories?

Bar Girl: They call her the Black Widow. When they go upstairs, they ain't never seen again. 

After hearing the information about Madame Lorraine, he slides the money to the bar girl.

Snipe: Take your reward.

The bar girl takes the money and kisses the cheek of his mask. She exits the saloon as Snipe devises a plan to get to Madame Lorraine. 

Snipe: Hey! Set up the house!

Snipe pulls out a roll of bills and buys drinks for the entire saloon. This delighted all the patrons as they began making their way to the bar and get their drinks. Upstairs, Madame Lorraine overhears Snipe buying drinks for the saloon and takes notice. She then walks downstairs and meets with Snipe.

Lorraine: Hey there cowboy! How would you like to trade that drink for some real fire water upstairs.

Snipe: You asking cause I'm such a handsome devil?

Lorraine: Cause I think you can afford a good time.

Lorraine led Snipe upstairs as two men followed them. Once inside the room, Lorraine begins speaking with the gunslinger. 

Lorraine: Why not we get ourselves comfortable? 

Snipe: I'm looking for a dead man named Red.

Lorraine: A dead man? Now why would I know anything about a dead man? 

Snipe remained silent as he walked towards Lorraine's bed. Inside a hidden room next to Lorraine's room. They prepare knifes and pistols while waiting on Lorraine's orders. As Snipe moves closer to Lorraine, she pulls a Derringer Pistol and aims it at Snipe. Before she could shoot, Snipe grabbed her arm and quickly disarmed her while placing her in an arm lock. 

Lorraine: You wouldn't hit a lady, would you?

Snipe: You ain't no lady.

Snipe then proceeds to knock her out. As he does that, the two men burst into the room and attack Snipe. One of them shoots at Snipe, but he shoots the man in the arm. The man continues to shoot, but Snipe finishes him off with a shot to the head with his Revolver Pistol. The other man then throws an axe at Snipe, but he misses. The large man begins attacking Snipe, but Snipe dodges his attacks and lands his own punches at the man. Snipe rolls over to his Pistol and shoots the man in the head, sending him through the door. Snipe walks out as the bartender shoots at him, but Snipe quickdraws and kills him. As the bartender falls dead, Snipe looks to the stunned crowd. 

Snipe: Drinks are on the house! 

The crowd begins to cheer as they begin to raid the bar. Snipe returns to Lorraine's room to see her recovering from Snipe's punch. 

Lorraine: You hit me, you bastard!

Snipe: Hard as I could. I'm only gonna ask this one: where's Red?

Snipe cocks the hammer of his Revolver as he aims it at Lorraine's head. She sees no choice but to lead him to where Red Doc was. Snipe and Lorraine ride on Snipe's horse to an old mine where she points out a dark hole that leads to a caved in lower shaft.

Lorraine: He's gonna be a little.....ripe. 

Snipe pulls her towards her and lowers her down the hole with a rope. Snipe climbs down the rope. Both see at least fifteen bodies with most of them decomposing. Snipe lights a match and uses it to light up an oil lamp. 

Snipe: Well now you had yourself a right smart business, ain't ya?

As Snipe moves over to the Red Doc's body, Lorraine sees a knife from one of the corpses. While Snipe secures Doc's body, Lorraine attacks the gunslinger, but he moves out of the way and throws her to the ground. He climbs up the rope and then pulls Doc's body up. When Lorraine regains her energy, she attempts to bargain with Snipe. 

Lorraine: Wait! We could be partners! I don't mind splitting the take!

Snipe simply tosses the rope down the hole. Lorraine sees the shape of Snipe looking down on her.

Lorraine: Please! You can't leave me here alone!

Snipe: You ain't alone. You got plenty of company. You know everybody down there.

Snipe then leaves, but not before throwing a Revolver Pistol down the hole. As Snipe leaves, Lorraine begins to tremble in fear as the lamp slowly goes out. She then takes the gun. On horseback, Snipe rides when he hears a distant gunshot, knowing full well of what it was. After a long ride, Snipe reaches a Bounty Collection Office where he walks up to the collector. 

Collector: You here to collect a bounty?

Snipe: Follow me.

Snipe leads the collector to his horse carrying Red Doc's body. The collector resists the urge to vomit. The collector then proceeds to hand Snipe the reward money of $1,000.

Collector: Take your damn money!

Snipe: Pleasure doing business with ya, partner. 

After the collector took Doc's body off of the horse, Snipe gets on his horse and rides off into the sunset to live another day in the Wild West as a bounty hunter and as a gunslinger.