Once a Soldier always a soldier

I dove behind a rock as beams of green Goo, energy, magic… what ever the hell it is go past me. I looked around to see that Hog and water firing their weapons with deadly precision taking down Changeling after Changeling. I looked around to see where Shield was. I turned my head left to see that there were five different Shields running around shooting what seemed to be energy rifles that seemed to change into the rifles we were using and acted like them. My jaw nearly hit the ground. I shouldered my rifle to see which one was real. In the magic it taught me that there is a way to differentiate from Changeling and the real thing. I brought up the computer that was on my what I call a wrist to see a small radar screen. (Pause for a second, I wish I had this shit when I was on earth it would have saved me a lot of shit.) Three green dots came up and a shit load of red dots came up. I looked to see that four of the shields were on the ground with green ooze coming out. I turned to door to see that the defensives were destroyed thanks to water and Hog. The firing stop as did the changeling troops. I looked down at one of the bodies, it was like a bug. I never believed in old data unless I see it myself. “I hate bugs.” I turned to see that shield and the others were starting to go in. I got behind the group with Water at point. I looked around, the nest was made in an old castle that was literally made inside a mountain.

“So, those are changelings?” I whispered to shield. He nodded before hushing me as we got to a stair case. I hate stairs, no matter where in a battle field or to a fucking water slide, I hate stairs. As we trotted up I began to feel crosshairs on my head. “So, can anypony feel crosshairs right about here?” I said as I tapping my forehead.

“Be quiet but, yeah I don’t like this. It’s too quiet. Hog are you sure that this is the queen’s hive?” Shield said. We entered what looks like an old guest room. It was in massive disrepair and neglect, it has definitely seen better days. reminds me of Fallout. I looked at the door to see if any Changeling were coming this way.

Through the crack of the door I could see ten Changelings flying this way towards the door. I turned to the guys. “Guys, tangos coming this way.” I whispered to them. They went quiet as they could hear the buzzing as the Changelings passed. I turned to Hog. “Where do we go?”

He looked on his map. “Throne room eight floors above us.” I nodded.

“Any lifts or elevators?” I said with an optimistic tone.

He shook his head. “Sorry only stairs.”

My face went flat. “Shit. Well, lets complete the objective and get the fuck out of here.” I said. I cracked open the door looking up and down the hall. Nothing. “It’s clear.” I said. I trotted out the door as I could hear buzzing everywhere. I don’t like this. They should have found us by now. I turned to Shield and the others. “Hog lead the way. We have to cover as much ground before we are caught. Also, lets put the suppressers on the rifles. We’ve already kicked the hornets next, no need to hit it with a baseball bat.” they nodded. Me, Hog, and Shield bit into our suppressors and screwed it on the end of our barrels. While Water being a show off decided to use his magic to do the same. The blue glow wrapped around his and placed it on. “Show off.” He got a smug face at the comment.

“Alright, if you can stop your bitching we need to get to three places. The Armory, the hatchery and the throne room. Then, Water can teleport us back to the LZ.” Shield said as we started up a stone stair case that seemed to go on forever. Did I mention that I hate stairs. I looked up to see a stair case of that of fancy hotel but, made of stone and in horrible condition. I took on step and a chuck of it fell off and made a dull thud on the ground. This is going to be fun.

We started up the stairs with our rifles at the ready. I looked up once more to look at the stairs. I turned to Hog. “Hog where is the nearest objective?” I said as we reached the third flight of stairs.

Hog looked on his computer. “Two floors above us and that is the armory. But, don’t worry about to much opposition, that is the least guarded of the three. Let hoof it and book it.”

It was quiet as we reached the doors of the fifth floor. Shield pressed his ear against the door. I motioned with his hoof that there was in fact a shit load of Changelings. He cracked the door and his eyes said it. Shit. He motioned to the team to come toward him. He turned to us after softly closing the door as much as possible. “Ok, there are about twenty of those fuckers guarding the armory. If we go guns blazing we will be shot to pieces and I don’t want to return in a body bag. Do you guys have any ideas, spit them out before they hear us.” Shield said in a whisper that I was barely able to hear it.

I raised my hoof. (Damn hoofs I still don’t know how they fucking work in this world.) He nodded. “How about a flash-bang? It will blind them and make them deaf enough to confuse them for us to take them by surprise and take them out.” I said. They had the look that said ‘what the fuck is he talking about?’ my voice went flat. “A flash-bang is a non-lethal grenade that makes large bang and blinding flash that is made to disorientate a target for about 10 to 30 seconds depending on where they are looking at.”

They nodded as Water recognized the description. “Oh, like a CF grenade?” he said in a some what mild voice but, I could tell that he was about 26. I raised an eyebrow at the statement of the grenade. “CF means Celestial Flare.”

I nodded and faced the door. “Alright but, I got plenty of regular frags. We could use those injuring them an-” Hog was interrupted by Shield.

“Shhhh. There leaving.” Shield said as he was by the door again. He quietly opened the door and stepped inside. We quickly entered just realize that there were only maybe three guards at the door in the hall. I lined up my rifle as did everypony else. 3... 2... 1... We all fired at the same time killing the guards with a suppressed crack. We scanned the halls for any more signs of Changelings. Nothing. We quietly went to the door and opened it. My jaw almost hit the floor as the room was filled rows and rows of weapons. I just stared as Water was taking pictures and Hog was placing charges. I looked at the bodies in front of the door.

“Hey shield help me with this, we don’t want them to be suspect us to be in here.” I said pulling the legs of the changeling and putting them inside an open crate. With the last one everything seemed to be finished.

“Alright, next place is the Hatchery and that shit is tightly guarded. So, we need a way inside without attaching any attention. Hog, is there any way we can take beside the fucking stairs?” Shield said as he closed the door.

Hog looked at his computer and nodded with some confusion. “There is a way but, I didn’t see it before. I think that there a secret passage near by that takes us all the way to the hatchery. But, I can’t find the entrance.”

Water snorted leaning against a wall with a torch. “A castle with a secret passage how original.” he said with a sarcastic tone as he hit his head on the torch. It knocked out making the wall slide downwards, revealing the passage way.

Shield and Hog laughed. “For once your hard head actually helped us.” Shield said as he stepped inside. “Parker, you are not going to like this, more stairs.” he said with a small chuckle.

“Goddamn it.” I muttered to myself as I entered the passage. Nothing but, blackness and stairs. I looked up at Shield. “Are you sure that we can’t just attack the changelings and have some real fun?”

“yes, I sure, plus if it will stop your bitching it will take us just ten minutes get there and set the explosives. Then, off to the throne room to kill the queen.” I smiled and became quiet.

Everypony was quiet the entire way up the staircase. With some time on hand my mind began to run wild. I started to think about magic briefing. Infiltrate the Changeling hive in Discord’s castle, distract the Changelings with a explosion at the castle gate. Destroy the armory. Destroy the Hatchery. Kill Queen Chrysalis. Gather any information about any farther attack. No Prisoners. Kill any Changelings you see as long you are sure that you can get out. Evac 15 hours of drop off. No back up. You are on your own. If you are captured there will be no rescue unless one volunteers.  It went from the briefing to what little family I have. I sigh and looked up to see that shield was looking. I decided to lighten the mood a little and to get out that fucking depressing thought. “After this and the pay I’m getting I’ll pay the first round.” I said. That seemed to make the guys laugh.

“Alright, guys this is where the real fun begins. Behind this door there are going to be Changelings. Lock and load.” Shield said. He pulled out a grenade that had the Letters CF. He pulled the pin and threw it behind the door. I could hear it bouncing on the stone floor and land in some goop.  The buzzing was the signal that they saw it. Then, the familiar bang and flash of light came and we ran in. My rifle was a part of me as we entered. The room was fill with Changelings and eggs. My rifle began go to Changeling to Changeling. It was all over in a few seconds as every live Changeling. It was kind of a medium sized Hatchery but, to me it a little small for a castle of this size.

“Guys I have a bad feeling, I thought there would be more especially here in the Hatchery where there entire species is born.” I said making everypony stop. (Damn it) Shield was about to say something when the door of the Hatchery exploded in green fire. A wall of energy beams came from the smoke of the former door. “It’s a trap!” I yelled. (Pause I have always wanted to say that. *In the background* NNNEEEERRRDDD. I should have never shown them star wars. Before you ask I have all six movies on my MP3 Player with a 4 inch screen. One does not simply watch all six movies. *Chuckle*) I dove behind a column next to Shield. “I knew that something was wrong with this.” I yelled as blindly fired my rifle into the wave of Changelings.

“I know, It felt off.” Shield said as he fired into three Changelings.

I turned around saw a small circular object land next to Hog. “HOG GRENADE!” I yelled but, it was too late. The grenade explode practically under him before he could react. Water ran to him as me and Shield finished off the last of the Changelings. We went to Hog. He was in really bad shape. His read left leg was blown off and covered in blood from the shrapnel.

He coughed up blood. He began to chuckle as Shield walked a little away from Hog with Water. I could hear what there say. “He is not going to make it. His lower left leg is completely severed and there is shrapnel covering his entire left side. I’m surprised that is his still alive let alone talking. He looked over at Hog.

“Hey, Nightwing or can I call you Parker?” he said with a bloody smile on his face.

“You can call me Parker.” I said as I sat next to him against the wall.

“Parker, I know that we barely know each other but, I consider a close friend. If you watched my back like this even in my final hour or should I say minute.” he chuckled. He coughed a little and blood came out covering his entire uniform.

“No, don’t say that we can get you out of here and into a hospital.” I said trying my best to lie but, I was horrible at that.

“No, don’t lie. I can hear Shield and Water talking about my injuries. “you know I actually saw you in the bar the second night you were here. I almost busted out laughing when you called that big green douchbag a thin mint.” he said with a grin on his face. He began to laugh with blood coming down the sides of his mouth. Staining his light green coat. he took out a necklace that had his dog tags and a small locket. He pulled off the necklace snapping the band. He placed it in my hoof. “Give it to my wife and tell her that I died doing what I love and that I was thinking of her when I died. Just meet her at the Damn good eggs restaurant she is a blue unicorn and her name is Colgate. Now, get the fuck out of here before another wave of those fucking bastards come here.” he looked at Water. Shield and Water were listening to our conversation. “Water give me the fucking detonator and get the hell out of here. Before this place blows.”

Water and Shield looked at each other. “What about the queen?” Water said before Shield could.

“She’s not here. This is a fucking outpost. This is something bigger. This is just the beginning.” he said with the smile still on his face.

I stood up and walked over to Shield. “It’s time to go and report on what we found.” Shield said.

“We just can’t leave him. There is a fucking good saying on my world. Never leave a man behind. But, here it’s Never leave a pony behind. We are taking him.”

“No, go. It is my decision. Somepony has to stay within range from the detonator.”  Hog said before Shield could say anything. “NOW GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!” he yelled as he began to fire at the door with his rifle killing four Changelings.

He looked at Water and nodded. He flared his horn for a teleportation spell. I looked at Hog and saluted. He simply nodded and grinned. I could hear the buzzing of the Changelings as they approached. With the flash a light we were out at the LZ. i nearly vomited at the spell. I'm not going to get used to that. I looked at the castle. I clicked on my radio and I can tell that the Changelings were on him. Their voices were like a snake. “Tell us where the explosives and we might not kill you.” the Changeling said.

“Fuck you motherfucker.” I could hear him spit into the thing’s eye.

“Take him to the dungeon.” the changeling said anger is the only thing in it's voice.

“but, I want to say a few more words with you asshole.” he chuckled.

“And what would that be?” the changeling said in sarcastic tone.

“Boom bitch.” he said as an explosion engulfed the castle. The shock-wave knocking me onto the ground. With my vision blurred I looked up at to see the castle destroyed and some parts hurdling down toward the ground.

Few of Hog’s last words stuck out to me as I looked at the castle. There is something bigger. This is just the beginning.