WAY Out of place

"What's the briefing sir?" One of the men asked. "I think rookie here might of slept through it." The other men got a laugh, yet the sergeant remained unphased.

The laughter died and everyone grew quiet. "An apartment complex has been taken over by radicals and we have count of at least seven hostages, all women." A heavy layer of seriousness came about everyone as they looked between each other.

"Any demands sir?" a man asked.

"Yeah, a right arse kicking. We have estimate of around a dozen plus tangos, heavily armed and willing to kill. We've singled out a leader. He's held up with the hostages on the top floor with the bulk of the guards. That's our primary objective, our secondary is remove the weapons cache they have stored in the basement."

"So what's the plan?" Another asked

"Griffen and Wallcroft, you two are in charge of the power, Barton and Doyle, you two are to take to the lower levels and search for the cache. When Griffen and Wallcroft are finished with their end then they're to join you."

"What'll the rook be up to, fetching coffee?"

"No. He'll be with me while we take on the primary objective. Once you've finished your piece of it the four of you will regroup with me and rook. Understand?" He finished

A chorus of "Yes sir." was followed.

"When we're all wrapped up drinks are on me." I could tell he had a sly smile on past his mask. A small rooting cheer came around everyone. He looked back to. "Nervous yet?"

I shook my head as I wrapped my head around things.

"Good." He said nodding. "Cause we're here."

As if on the cue the vehicle we were in lurched to a stop. The doors swung open and they one by one clambered out. I followed out last, taking the gas mask from my belt and holding onto the head straps, pulling them back and sliding it over my face. I made a few adjustments to the point where it fit tight and followed. We stood outside the enormous building, the men named off as Barton and Doyle stood on either side of the entrance. The other two, Griffen and Wallcroft, began making their way around the building. The sergeant stood behind Barton waiting, the three of them armed at the ready. My hand took it's place at the handle and leveled my weapon. I hurried over to them and stacked up behind Doyle.

"Ready?" He asked.

The sergeant held his free hand to his ear. The light from some of the windows died. "We're green for go." He nodded.

Barton's hand took hold of the door handle and slowly turned it, easing it open. We quietly made our way in a crouch with Barton on point. We made way to the stairwell, him and Doyle took left to go down. The sergeant removed his free hand from under his guns barrel. He extended his index and middle, pointing to the upper stairwell. I nodded in understanding and we crept up it. A static buzzed in my ear and I heard someone talk. "Three tangos down, proceeding."

"Copy that." The sergeant replied holding his hand to his earpiece.

At the top there was an intersection that branched off into two hallways. He pressed against the wall and peaked around the corner, looking back and forth between both directions. He slinked back and extended four fingers, switching to two and cocking his head to the right then to the left. He extended his thumb to point at himself and cocked to the right, he then switched to his index finger and pointed at me, cocking to the left.

I nodded and took to the other wall. He held up his arm and extended three fingers, retracting one after another before pumping his fist.

Princess Luna awoke to find herself bound and knelt on the floor alongside six others. Each resembling Ponies she had come to call friends, having taken on the strange form of humans and were held together with her. The six Ponies that had become known as heroes of Equestria, the Elements of Harmony. Around them were large men with dark clothing and balaclavas, armed with strange wooden and metal weaponry. One resembling the Earth pony Applejack fidgeted with her bindings. One of the guards kicked her in the side, winding her and causing her to slump down to the linoleum flooring.

One resembling the Pagasus Rainbow Dash looked up to him angrily and spat at him, receiving her own kick. Another one resembling The Pegasus Fluttershy sobbed silently to herself and another similar to the Earth pony Pinkie Pie attempted to comfort her. One lay passed out on the floor resembling the unicorn Rarity, beside her was one similar to the Unicorn Twilight Sparkle. A single light above them gave the only illumination to the room fizzled out, the only remaining light from the window and the moon outside.

One of the men wearing a red beret atop his head stood from his seat at a table nearby with his hand upon a silvery metallic device. He pointed at a few of the guards. "You four keep watch outside." He unholstered a rather large pistol. "You." He said pointing at Luna.

We slipped out of cover, weapons level. Two masked guards at the end of the hallway by a window stood facing each other. I steadied my sights and gave two quick bursts, the suppressors snuffing all sound par a few quiet 'phut's. The first burst hit the farthest back guard, dropping him. The second spun around and attempted to raise his Kalashnikov only to be dropped by the second burst. The two slumped down against the wall, a smear of blood following them. Maroon polled around them and glistened in the moonlight.

I turned around to see the sergeant had a similar situation covered. Another buzz of static came into my ear. "Four more tangos down, proceeding to secondary objective with Griffen and Wallcroft."

"Understood, sweeping the second floor at the moment. Four tangos down, the carpets in here are gonna need a lotta shampoo." The sergeant said into his earpiece.

"Copy that, sir."

We moved along to one of the doors, stacking up. "Five pounds says it's this one." The sergeant bet.

"You're on." I quirked as my hand slowly turned the knob. He slipped in first, I followed directly behind.

We stood in the small kitchen of the apartment. "You take bedroom, I'll take bathroom."

I nodded and took to the right toward the open bedroom doorway, he slowly turned the knob to the bathroom door and opened it. I stepped into the bedroom with weapon raised to find no one. I slipped back out into the dark kitchen. "Nothing." I said softly.

"Same." The sergeant said stepping out of the bathroom. "Damn, looks like I owe you five pounds."

"Great, you can buy me dinner at the pub." I chuckled.

We slipped out back into the hallway and took either side of the next. "Alright I feel it, it's this one. If it is then I don't owe you shite."

"Fine, but when you lose I want that steak medium rare." I said as I grasped the door handle. I turned it slowly and eased open the door. The situation inside this small kitchen was different though, splayed out across the kitchen floor were six women that seemed...familiar. One of them with long pink hair sobbed a little more audibly at the site of us. I knelt down beside her. "Are you alright?" I asked.

She only stared at me with wet eyes, shivering in fear.

"Shh, shh, shh, it's alright." I cooed lifting up my mask. "We're here to help you." I unsheathed the knife from my shoulder and she stared at it fearfully. I pressed the edge of the blade to the nylon rope that held her wrists together and worked it in a sawing motion, severing them.

She hugged onto me gratefully. "Thank you."

"Stay put." I said as I moved to another one, the sergeant doing the same. I stopped when I reached a women with long navy hair that had pink and purple highlights through it. Twilight.

Another buzz of static came into my ear. "We have the C4 in place and are on our way up."

"Good," the sergeant said into his earpiece. "We have the hostages secure. Wait, I only count six. Where's the other-" He was cut off as one of the men came out from the bedroom with a woman held in front of him as a shield, a sinister looking Desert Eagle held to her temple.

"Drop your weapons now or her brains repaint the walls." He barked.

The woman had long azure colored hair and seemed to be focusing on me. She didn't seem scared at all. The sergeant already had his weapon level and aimed at him. "Drop yours."

"I said drop the guns or she's dead!" He yelled.

I did as he said and slowly set my gun down on floor, sliding it away. My other hand with the knife in it moved down between Twilight's thighs, her eyes darting nervously up to mine. I set it down between her legs and moved away, standing up.

"Useless wanker!" The sergeant yelled at me.

"Just do it." I said hands raised. "It's on her head."

They both looked at me then back to each other. The sergeant slowly lowered his weapon and set it on the ground, sliding away. He stood back up and held his hand up in the air.

"And the pistols." The leader barked.

I rested one of my hands on the handle of it and unholstered it, setting it down and kicking it away. The sergeant did the same.

I slowly moved out of the way to the left. He followed my movement and stepped his way around us, facing away from the door. I watched as Twi cut herself free and moved to help the rest. The floor creaked below her and the faction leader spun around aiming the pistol at her. I lunged forward and moved his hand up and out of the way, a loud bang sounding off as the round hit the ceiling, dust and drywall falling from it. I pushed the blue haired woman away from him toward the sergeant and swung, landing a blow to his face and knocking both the beret off his head and the pistol out of his hand.

He kicked upward with his leg and I caught it, holding onto it. He hobbled in place on the remaining leg and squirmed trying to get free. I kicked up and landed a heavy blow to his groin, knocking him over. I dived down and pinned him, winding back and swinging, placing blow after blow to his head. He reached up and caught my hand as I swung, using his other hand to grab the collar of my fatigues and pulled me in for a headbutt. I fell back dazed and he flipped me over, pinning me. He wound back and swung, planting his own blows.

The sergeant tackled him off and pinned him, landing next to the pistol. He lashed out at him while the leader of the radicals reached for the pistol. He grabbed it and brought it between him and the sergeant. His finger pulled the trigger and a fifty caliber bullet tore through his abdomen. Blood dripped down and a muffled gargle came from his mask. He pushed him off and aimed for me. I grabbed the deagle and turned it in his direction. He fought back and tried with all his strength to tilt it in my direction. I let go with one of my hands and elbowed him in the face, his strength faltered and I tilted it all the way toward him and pulled the trigger. The round tore a fist sized hole through his chest. Blood dipped down from his mouth and he fell back limply.

I dropped the heavy pistol panting. I rubbed my hands along my face. "Everyone alright?" I asked. I only received a few nods in reply.

The other four came through the doorway, stopping dead in their tracks at our sight. Griffen knelt down to the sergeant and set his head down on his chest. He raised back up and shook his head. I pushed up from the ground and knelt over the sergeant, reaching down the collar of his fatigues and grabbing his dog tags. I yanked them from his neck handed them to Griffen, then I placed my hand on the intake of his gas mask, pushing it up. I looked down at the man who sacrificed himself for me, his eyes cold and dead, blood pouring from his mouth. My hand moved down from his mask and down along his face, closing his eyes. I stood up from him and held my hand out to Griffen who handed the dog tags back.

I looked down to them and read the name printed. G. Sanderson. I stepped over to the woman with blue hair and knelt down to her. I stuffed the dog tags into a side pouch and reached down the neck of my own fatigues, grabbing hold of my own dog tags and ripping them from my neck. I grabbed her hand with my other one and held it out, setting them down in her palm and closing it. I stood back up from her and looked back around the room everyone, seemed to be staring at me.

"We're leaving." I said walking past everyone and out into the hallway.