Hayseed sighed as he looked out the window of the Phobos weapons research facility. The moons position was now opposite to Utopia Planitia. The transport had arrived an hour before and another was scheduled to take them back to Earth the next day. Hayseed felt wrong leaving his brother behind, despite his knowledge of what he's capable of and Buckshot asking it. The rest of the survivors were in the mess hall enjoying their first non rationed meal in days.

Cadence walks with two fresh uniforms, wearing one. She tries to say something through her mouth full of cafeteria hay fries, but it comes out as a muffle. Hayseed looks back with an amused smile, but immediately goes back to his depressed expression. Cadence swallows her food.

"How's your leg?", she asks as she lays Heyseed's fresh uniform beside him. Hayseed wiggles the leg that got hit by the cacodemon.

"Feeling better.", he says. "I started taking pain meds, they're really helping." Cadence awkwardly starts toward the doorway. "I haven't eaten anything since we got back.", Hayseed cuts in. "Mind if I join you?"

"This isn't a date is it?", Cadence asks half jokingly.

"No ma'am.", Hayseed says with a slightly amused smile. "We're on duty, and besides, you're a married mare."

"That's what I though.", giggles Cadence.

Suddenly, several gunshots are heard, followed by screaming. Cadence and Hayseed rush to see what's happening. bullets are seen hitting the wall of the corridor from the cafeteria. A few screams are cut short by the gunfire. More foot-soldiers show up to contain the situation. A loud demonic screech was heard, and two strands of purple light come from the cafeteria and go through the soldiers. Most the light hit screamed in pain before glowing red and violently exploding. The last two the lights went into let out demonic screams and started shooting the rest of the squad.

"DEXTER!!!", shouts Hayseed. The now possessed soldiers turn toward Hayseed and Cadence to attack. They sprint to the elevator behind them. Bullets fly toward them, three hitting Cadence in the hindquarters, another in Hayseed's already injured leg. They make it to the elevator, Hayseed groaning in pain and Cadence holding back the urge to shout and cry.

Dexter lays against the wall with a bullet hole in his shoulder. Alarms began blearing around him. He focused his mind on not passing out, and what he was to do to stay alive. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he was detected, gave himself away, or bled out.

He eventually found the strength to get up and get to a place easier to hide and take care of his injury in. Fortunately for him this was exactly when another security team had arrived for another attempt of containment. He was able to escape under the cover of the firefight that just broke out. Is there no place we can go that's safe?, he thinks to himself as he makes his way to the elevator.

He reaches his claw toward the infirmary, but then hits the button for the armory. the infirmary is gonna be the first place they hit after the cafeteria, he thinks. And then the armory, so I better get supplies while I can. He was slowly getting more light headed as he thought of what happened.

As the elevator went down, he came to the conclusion that the purple strands of light were spirits, or at least a different variation of them. Spirits were a noncorporeal demon that could possess and take control of other demons to increase their strength. However, spirits were usually blue, and could only possess demons, whereas these were purple and could also possess ponies and dragons. Dexter considered himself lucky to be alive, considering spirits can sense life that they can possess. He remembered reading that the EAC had a very expensive run in with one once, and that it was contained with heavy microwave radiation.

The elevator opens to an armory of busy soldiers and security officers. Dexter, with one claw still putting pressure on his shoulder, tried getting anyone's attention before collapsing to the ground. Several ponies rush to assistance while another gets the emergency medical kit off the wall and brings it over.

"What the hell is happening up there?", asks a black pony, loading a rifle.

"Spirits.", Dexter painfully mutters. "But, they're different. They can possess beings other than demons." A stout, dark red mare in heavy armor walks in. She appeared to be the chief security officer.

"How many?", she asks.

"I counted two.", responds dexter. "But I was playing dead and was trying not to pass out, so there could be more."

"Why didn't you go to the infirmary?", asks the chief.

"I had assumed that would be the first place they hit after the cafeteria.", starts Dexter. "They hit the cafeteria, where most of the survivors are, then go to the infirmary to kill any of the injured that escaped. That way, they take care of the medical staff early, and eliminate that as an option for a potential hiding spot."

"Don't you think that's a bit advanced for a force as barbaric and primitive as the demons?", the mare asks.

"You make the mistake of underestimating them.", Dexter says through pained growls as a stallion removes the bullet from his shoulder. The mare thinks for a moment.

"You seem to more about them than any of us.", she says. "Do you know how to kill the spirits?"

"No one does.", Dexter answers pessimistically. "Though, I read somewhere of the EAC containing one with microwave radiation."

"Well that's gonna be a problem.", responded the mare. "We only have one prototype that deals with microwave radiation, and it's a weapon mod for another prototype in an entirely different section of the facility."

"Well that is a problem.", said Dexter. "And what makes it worse is that I have no way of assisting."

"I ain't letting you out no matter what condition you're in.", said the chief.

"Why?", asks Dexter puzzledly.

"Because you're the one that knows the most about the demons.", she responds.

"You're making all these decisions with not a lot of knowledge, how do you know I'm not full of shit?", Dexter asks. The mare lets a slight grin take over.

"I wasn't chosen for the head of security of one of the EAC's most important and secure sites for being a moron."

Author's Note

Another really long break. The purple lights thing was from this story: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/497527/lights. I got permission from the author to use it and expand upon it. To her directly, I hope you liked my Spirit idea.

Spirit: https://doom.fandom.com/wiki/Spirit