Drifter

Name: 321

Rank: 32

Position: Special ops

Division: Third

Squad: 15

Leader: Black Fang

That was all the card said. It really didn't provide me with much help to find where I was supposed to go. I lifted my head up from the paper and started to go back in the direction that I had come. I didn't care for those in my way as I pushed and shoved through the busy streets of Manehattan. The hordes of mares and stallions were so immense that it was hard to squeeze my way through them, even with force.

"Damn ponies, couldn't you just move?", I muttered to myself, still fighting to get through the crowd.

Between a pegasus and a family of unicorns, by what seemed like a miracle, I spotted a small opening that would take me out of the clustered streets! With no hesitation, I burst through it and found myself in an old alleyway.

I was lost.

"Great! Now how am I supposed to find those damn...", I was interrupted by a large earth pony walking towards me.

"Find those what?"  He asked, looking at me strangely. I stumbled to answer him.

"Oh, well I um, am looking for a... um, a good pony friend of mine, and I got lost you see an-" He cut me off.

"By the Queens I hope you don't get captured or you'll squeal like a bucking pig. Now hurry up! You're late, and Black Fang isn't too happy about it."

The huge stallion then turned and walked deeper into the alley, with me trailing behind him. We reached the end of the passage and stopped in front of a giant steel door. The earth pony told me to wait while he searched through his keyring. When he took it out in front of him, I saw the ring. And my jaw dropped. I think I saw the biggest bundle of keys in the entire world. It would be hours until this big oaf found the right one! I decided to get rude.

"Geez! Do you have the key to every damn building in this city?! You're the one making me late now, dumbass!"

The huge earth pony turned and grabbed me by my horn. He slammed me hard into the ground of the alley and held me down with one hoof still on my horn. Then he whispered to me, "Listen, fella. I've had the worst day of my life and you're making it even more unbearable. Either you can shut up and stop complaining while you let me find my key, or you can be relieved of your meeting- by me."

The large stallion pulled me up by my horn until I stood on all four hooves, then continued searching his keyring. I stood and waited patiently for him while he took his precious time. I think he was doing it on purpose to see if I would snap again, but I did not fall for his trick. After what seemed like a thousand keys, I heard a metal clicking sound and sure enough, the earth pony had done it.

Now opened, was the enormous steel door. However, I was not paying attention to the door. I was looking at the towering brick walls of the alley. They practically surrounded me.The walls looked like they could fall on top of me any moment, but they never did. I had not realized that the stallion was already halfway through the door while I was in my daydream. Luckily, he got my focus back by banging on the hard steel with his hind legs. The earth pony grumbled and entered the building, with me still trailing behind.

I followed him through the dimmed corridors and didn't say anything so not to cause more problems. He stopped at another door, though this time it wasn't locked. He opened the door and told me to go in. I wasn't about to say no, so I entered the room and paused in front of an unusual scene. There were about several changelings gathered around a small table in the center of the room. They were all from different hives judging by there colors and by how far they sat from each other. At the far end sat a changeling from the green hive he was the first to speak as I closed the door.

"Ah, 321... Late as expected. Then again, you ARE from the purple hive..." Every'ling in the room started to laugh besides me for I hung my head in shame.  Out of all of the changeling hives the purple hive was the laughing stalk of our race.  For it was the only hive that was destroyed, and all who survived fled to safety.  After a while they came out of hiding but it was of no use there was no hive to lead them and all of us where lost...

They stopped laughing and motioned me to sit, I complied.

"Anyways...  "Black fang started."... Now that we are all here lets get down to business.  Our target is a well known black market dealer and is also well protected.  We are told that he is most known for selling slaves to the highest bidder and most of the slaves he sells are stolen from orphanages and hospitals.  He has started to escalate at which the rate he sells his victims and has started to steal from the hives.  We have information that he has recently stolen from the orange hive and taken all of the nymph's and the females caring for them.  Their Queen has requested that we capture him and retrieve those who were taken from the hive.  We are expected to encounter heavy resistance and are ordered to kill all who pose a threat.  We are going to break into three main groups, group 1 you are going to enter from the basement and clear out all forces and look for the captives.  Group 2 you will be with me and we will go to the main entrance and wait for group 3 to let us in.  As I  said group 3 you will be letting us in but you are going in from the top any way you can got it.  "Every'ling in the room responded to him in unison.

"Yes sir!"

"Good, now get your gear together and get ready to head out.  Oh and 321 I need to talk to you its about you group members."  He said looking at me with his glowing eye's.

"Yes sir."  I said, everyone else running to and from to their bag's and putting on gear and gathering weapons.

"321 or Nightshade which do you prefer?"  He asked me

"It doesn't really matter to me but it would be nice to be called by my real name for once.  "I said looking at him blankly.

"OK then Nightshade it is, well anyway the other members of your group are still out do to there injures.  I'm sorry to say but you will have to take part in this mission on your own.  You are the only one that will be in group 3 can you handle that Nightshade."  He said looking at me with a small hint of worry in his voice.  nodded to him before speaking.

"Yes sir I will be fine."  I said turning to go and gather my gear and get ready for the mission.  But it was strange for him to have worried about me, it is very unlike our kind.  I shrugged it off not thinking of it any further ans started to dig through my bag.  I grabbed out my whoove blade and dagger as well as my armor.  I slowly put on my chest piece which was completely black.  I then put on my eye piece which covered my left eye.  It gave me a basic zoom of 8 as well as night-vision capability. I slung my dagger across my neck and back leaving the blade hilt hang on the base of my left shoulder.  I then went over and garbed the cloaks that we all had to wear and then waited for the rest to get ready to go.

"Hey 321 got done early again I see."  Said the red changeling that was now walking up to me.  She was the only female on the team but had earned her place being the most gruesome of us all.

"Yes well I would have been done sooner but Black Fang wanted to talk to me."  I said looking at her with an icy cold glare.  She was one of the only changeling's that had any respect for me at all but was still a bitch most of the time.

"You always have some sort of excuse on why your the first one of us done don't you."  She said with a sly smile returning the glare I gave her and even started to laugh a little to.

"Stop that."  I said starting to get defensive but obviously she didn't listen to me and kept laughing.  I then let out a large sigh.

"Oh poor Nightshade is Blood Crest bothering you again?  Maybe you should stop letting her flirt with you."  Said Shard laughing operatically but was stopped suddenly by Blood Crest punching him across the face and putting a knife to his neck.

"Um yeah sorry Blood Crest ... Um please don't hurt."  Said Shard looking more pale than last time he insulted Blood Crest and I.  But he does this a lot for some reason and he keeps doing it too?  I'm not sure why but I think he's mental.

"Blood Crest stop it you can't kill him we need him.  It's sad but we truly need him you can beat on your brother after the mission got it."  Said Black Fang still walking to the back door where the rest of us where waiting. Blood Crest doped her brother shard with a sigh and put her cloak back on.

"Fine"  She said very reluctantly.  The rest of the team had now gotten there and was ready to leave.

"Well then lets get going then it will be dark soon and we need to be ready when it does."  Said Black Fang as we then all left to go to the mission area.

***

We gathered in front of our targets location and had gotten there just in time.  But since I was part of group 3 I was positioned at a nearby high point which was just a large hill little ways away from the building.  I started my advance on the building judging every possible entrance on the roof.  Finding none I decided to just break a window and get in from there.

When I got to the window I tried to see if it was open first and to my luck it was!  I quickly slipped inside and closed the window once again so not to let on suspicion to a random opening.  I scan'ed the room i was in and noticed that it was a large hallway with many doors on each side but there was also a single guard sitting next to one of the doors.  I also noticed that the guard was fast asleep so I quickly made my move so not to wake him.  I took out my dagger and slit his throat letting his blood spill down his lifeless body.  I then checked his body to see if he had anything of value to me.  I took his key's and even the few bits he had they could be of some use when in disguise.  I then went on my way down the hallway checking each door but found nothing more than empty bed rooms.  Although when I stuck my head into the last doorway it had a bed full of pony's and even a griffon but the griffon was chained to the bed and shackled so she couldn't try to leave infarct all of them were except for one stallion with a sly grin on his face as he slept.  I put to and to together and went into the room I jumped up and started to hovered over the bed.  The griffon lifted her head and I motioned for her to stay quiet.  I slowly landed on the bed and on top of the stallion.  I then took my blade and drove it deep into his chest and twisted it.  He shot up but was stopped by my hoof smashing his head back down.  His eyes were bloodshot and he flared as he tried to escape but without warning went limp. He was dead.  I removed my dagger and cleaned it on his fur.  I then went over and picked the lock on the shackles and brace holding the griffon captive and let them fall to the floor.

"thank you, thank you, thank you."  She said hugging me and squeezing all of the air out of me before putting me down.  I then turned to her.

"Go out the door and take a left, go down the hallway and jump out of the window."  She looked and me and tears filled her eye's and she was about to cry when I held her beak shut.

"No don;t cry you need to be quiet or else got it."  I said, she nodded in response.  I let her speak.

"I can't fly they broke my wings so I couldn't get away..." She said trailing off tears filling her eye's again.

"listen just be quiet and you can come with me ok."  She motioned to the others and I shock my head no.

"We can't take them with us yet but when the rest of my team gets in I will bring you to Blood Crest and she will take care of you and help them to ok."  I said hoping that she would listen and let me continue my mission.  She nod'ed and I walked out the door her following me.  I went to the set of stairs that lead to the floor below us.  When I got down I noted that there were two more guards but these two were wide awake.  I motioned for the griffon to stay put, she nod'ed.  I slowly crept closer to them, I noticed a small picture hanging on the wall next to me.  I garbed it and throw it across the room past the guards getting there attention.  The guard closest to the sound went to investigate, in turn I slit the throat of the other guard before he came back.  Sadly the guard turned around before I could make a proper move on him and had to jab him with my blade.  He let out a cry of pain before I used my hoof blade to cut his neck and stop his cry's.  I was behind scheduler so I kept going to the next set of stairs, the griffon close behind.  When I made my way to the main floor I ran into group 1 who was just cleaning up the last of the guards.

"Your late Nightshade you were suppose to bet us here"  Said Shard as he stabbed the last guard in the chest.  The others of the group looked at me before one asked.

"Whats with the griffon."  He said pointing to her.

"I found her upstairs it looked like she needed help so I lent her a hoof.  But I need Blood Crest to help her right now there are still some others on the top floor and I know Blood Crest would like to be the one to do so."  I said walking down the last few steps and going to the door to let in group 2.  They all nod'ed as I opened the door letting in Black Fang, Blood Crest, and 476.

"did I hear my name?"  Said Blood Crest as she came through the door and looked around her.  Her eye's landed on the griffon and then she barred her teeth.

"Ok I got it give to me I'll take care of the rest..." She then turned to Black Fang.  "... That is if its ok with you sir?"  She said He nod'ed to her and without a second word went with the griffon and started to talk in hushed whispered.

"Nightshade you and Shard come with me.  476 and Taco stay here until we get back."  Said Black Fang

"I thought I said to stop calling me taco sir?"  Said Taco

"Well then you shouldn't have stopped mid-mission to eat one!" He said in response still walking towards the gold plated doors Shard and I in tow.  We entered the door and inside it was mostly empty there was some furniture and other things here and there but over all it was a fairly blank room.

"spread out don't want to get trapped"  Said Black Fang.  In response shard and I split off and stuck to the wall.  Black Fang walked up to the next door and slowly opened it.  To our surprise  a guard jumped out and drove a sword straight into him killing him instantly.  Shard quickly cut him down with his sword and we watched as his body split from the neck and shoulder  making him two.  I checked the next room as Shard check Black Fang seeing if there was anything left we could do or anything on hi  we may need.  The other room had a large desk with a signal pony sitting behind it there were also two guards on ether side.

It was five against two and maybe four on two depending on if he would fight or not.  To my relief  he waved his hoof and the four guards charged us.  Shard killed the first two using his throwing knives getting direct hits on both of them.  I took the next one throwing my dagger into him and hitting him in his chest.  I quickly ran up and stab'ed the other with my hoof blade barely missing his attack on me before turning to the first one I killed and retrieved my dagger.  Taking my dagger I then slit his throat, he fell into a pool of blood and even made a splash as he hit the floor.  I then turned my attention to the pony at the desk and saw Shard making his move.  I quickly ran to assist him but before I could the pony behind the desk shot him with a crossbow.  He flew back and hit the ground hard before sliding to a stop.  He had managed to reload and point his weapon at me but wasn't fast enough for I drove my blade deep within his skull and left it there.  I then quickly ran to Shard who was still conscious.

"You weren't suppose to kill him you..."  He started to cough up blood then spoke again.  "You idiot..."  He said.  "But help me up will you I'm just a little weak right now."He looked at me I could tell he was scared.

"Don't worry Shard I'll give you a ride back to the main room I heard that Taco is one of our best medics."  We both laughed as I gently put him on my back.

"Yeah maybe but only ... only when he's not hungry."  We laughed again as I brought him to the room.  I gave him to Taco and 476 and they immediately started medical procedures.  I looked to my left and saw that Blood Crest had gotten the rest of the slaves from upstairs and was also covered in blood.  She came up to me and had a worried look on her face.

"Were's Black Fang?"  She said tears in her eye's I knew that they were lovers but was taken back when I saw her cry.  No'ling had ever seen her cry before and truly she had every reason.  I shock my head and the tears came down her face as if a damn had broken.  In between sob's she asked.

"...and w-what of Sh-Shard?"  I put my hoof on her shoulder and moved so she could see her brother on the ground 476 and Taco working on him fiercely to stop the bleeding.

"Is...is he going t-to be alright?"  She asked me I turned to look at him myself and closed my eye's before looking back to her.

"I don't know."  Was the last thing i was able to say before she burred her head in her hoof's and cried.