With The White Berets

With the White Berets IV

Operation Complex

    The red pegasus blinked then blinked again, his antlers were telling him that this place had bad magic radiating off it: Old magic. Twisted magic. He eyed the building and frowned. It was well guarded. Two security ponies at each entrance with sentries walking and flying around the property, and a group of ponies huddled on the top of the roof. Mages no doubt or at least changelings skilled in small spells. He considered, then took flight. His weak red wings put him in the air and he pulled on the wind to do the rest. He glided silently to the rooftop and crouched behind one of the many ventilation pipes that crisscrossed the flat terrace. The guards were lazing around obviously bored with their midnight shift. They were idle easy targets, but despite that he grimaced. The pegasus would not like what he was about to do. Their break done, the guards resumed their rounds, beginning to sweep the roof and scan the grounds.The antlered pegasus tightened his focus, waiting for an opportunity. One of guards, a  green unicorn grew close, and the pegasus moved in a flash, flying out from behind the pipe and brushing the unicorns neck with a hoof. His nightmare did the rest. As the unicorn collapsed into a sobbing heap, the other ponies turned with a shouts of alarm on their lips. But the nightmare had tasted pony, and it wanted more. The pegasus was wont to give him some, if only to keep it from feeding on himself. The unhindered nightmare flew out of his antlers and engulfed the guards like a black wave of pure fear. With effort the red pegasus drew the nightmare back in after it had finished its work. He sighed, feeling it settle back within him. With the sated nightmare fading into his mind he opened the fire escape door and ran in the building.

“Where in Celestia's name is he!” Corona yelled slamming her hooves against the  glass coffee table. They had been sitting in Control’s office for almost 15 minutes waiting for Roy and Corona had grown impatient quickly. Hertz only smiled in his self-assured way. Hertz found amusement in everything. Especially Corona.  Control only sighed. “He’ll open the door in three...two...one” She counted with the exaggerated patience that obviously came from repetition. Below a door slammed open and a soaking wet Roy walked in.

“Does he realize there's a drier way into the base?” Corona asked, almost casually, hiding her indignant rage.

    Control nodded.

Roy put on his uniform beret, frowned, then grabbed a cleaner one from a neighboring locker. He then proceeded to grab a magazine and went to the bathroom.

“He’ll go to the second stall.” Control said, “Which he will learn is trapped.”

A large bang came from the bathroom and Roy walked out seemingly unfazed, if a little singed. He strolled over to Control’s office as casually as possible. He pushed Hertz off the Couch and laid himself down. “What's up?” He asked innocently.

“We’ve tracked the changelings,” responded a nonplussed Control. “You three are ordered to infiltrate their base, get any information you can out of it, and finally destroy it.”

And so they sat, at midnight, crouched in the bushes outside the complex. “So what's our way in?” Hertz asked. Roy sighed. He had quickly grown tired of Hertz’s constant chattering. Corona was always unnervingly silent.

“I have no idea how to get into this place.” Roy said pointedly. “Corona. Anything?”

“There are two guards per wall which are completely covered by wards and cameras, plus 12 roaming the grounds. And there’s at least six pegasi overhead patrolling.”

    “Nice eyes. Any way in?”

    “The roof’s wide open.”

    “Is it covered?”

    “The aerial sweeps skim it.”

    “Way up?”

    “Soft spot on the left side.”

    “Route to the roof?”

    “Hertz is already there”

    “But he’s-”

    Hertz had vanished. Roy jumped. Corona sighed and rolled her eyes. She gestured with a hoof at the building below. A blade of grass moved. Tree leaves rustled slightly. Hertz moved like a ghost, quickly, silently and relentlessly. Completely invisible.

Roy swore. “How does he do that?”

    “He has a knack for getting into places he shouldn't be.” Corona said, without bothering to elaborate further. Roy looked down, Hertz was waving at them from the wall of the building.

    “Well thank Celestia he uses his powers for good.”

    “He doesn't usually.”

The cloaked pegasus was also practicing the art of getting into places he shouldn't be. He flitted through the halls like a ghost, checking every room. until he finally found his way to the basement. He opened the door and looked down, beholding a dark stairwell that spun downwards, its bottom obscured by the darkness. The pegasus focused on the black, braced himself and jumped.

    Roy and Corona moved silently to the wall where Hertz was. Only to find the eccentric pony had vanished again. Roy searched desperately for the strange unicorn until Hertz dropped a rope on him. Roy swore quietly, rubbed his head, and climbed. Corona flew up, keeping close to the wall. Hertz grinned at them as they walked in. Roy shut the door behind them. And Hertz finally spoke, “So...”

    “We’re very impressed Hertz.” Roy and Corona said simultaneously. Hertz ignored the sarcasm. The team moved slowly through the halls, poking their heads in every deserted room. After many empty offices and conference rooms. Finally, Corona waved Roy and Hertz over.

    “Found the IT room,” She whispered, “Lets get to it.”

    The pegasus fell through the darkness. Instead of opening his wings and gliding as most pegasi would, he spiraled through the air, cloak flapping in the wind. He reached out with his senses through his antlers, feeling the earth surround him, feeling the wind of the shaft rush past him. He could feel the bottom now, and it was guarded. Two changelings, wearing armor like ponies, stood in front of the staircase. They were still, sentry like. The pegasus felt them breathe. The air from their lungs mixed with the wind in the shaft. the air from the shaft flowed in and out through the windows of the complex, which in turn flowed through the sky, where wind constantly swirled and cycled in chaotic patterns, the primal essence of the storm. The pegasus exhaled, feeling his storm connect with the primal one. Everything grew sharper and more contrasted. He felt the storm gather around him and the air crackled with static. He focused it to his fore-hooves feeling them become bolts of solid lightning. He fell on the sentries then, his hooves connecting with their backs, feeling their carapaces break and the electricity blow out their nervous system. He landed and the storm settled back within him. He walked past the smoking corpses, heaved open a steel door and walked inside.

Corona threw herself into a seat and began typing madly at the keyboard. Roy told Hertz to watch the entrance and swept the room. After he finished he walked over to Corona’s workstation. He gasped. She was bypassing walls of security like they were nothing.

    “Anything yet?” He asked, trying to keep his voice free of the awe he had of her prowess.

    “Almost. I’ve got a bunch of files, but they’re all coded.”

    “Anything important?”

    “Something called project Goliath.”

    Project Goliath. The word loomed in front of the dark red pegasus. Seeming bigger than it was on the lit bulletin board.  He could read the words on the prints. But could not understand their implications. They labeled a sketch of a gargantuan changeling. He stared at it. The shell was too thick for arrows. Infantry would be crushed by it in an instant. Ballista bolts could probably shut it down, but it would take two or three well-placed bolts. A squad of unicorn magi could take it down with a little luck, but-

    The pegasus shook his head dismissing thoughts, born of a lifetime of warfare. These were dangerous living weapons and they needed to never become reality. He grabbed a sketch but as soon as he stuffed it in his cloak, harsh white light illuminated the formerly dark room and a loud klaxon sounded with an announcement that there were intruders in the building, changelings rushed from all sides and surrounded him. Fangs out and ready to pounce.

    “Project Goliath huh?” Hertz said, “Sounds interesting.”

    Roy looked up, finding Hertz at his shoulder.

    “Shouldn't you be watching the door?” He said.

  “Well…” Hertz replied.

    “Nopony move!” A colt shouted.

    Roy turned and looked. Two guards with crossbows and swords had burst into the room. They stood imposingly on their hind legs aiming crossbows. Roy grinned.

    “Corona, save all you can, I don’t want to ” He said flipping out his knife.

He rushed the guards. One, emerald green, panicked and wasted his shot, and the bolt sailed well above Roy’s ducked head. The other fired a precise shot at his torso. Roy saw the bolt and deflected it with a quick flick of the blade. The first guard had his sword out and wound up a huge swing, leaving his stomach wide open. Roy Sliced it open and the pony screamed. The second swore and lunged for Roy. But the blue agent slipped past the blade and stabbed him in the eye.

    The knife wielding pony turned on his awestruck companions and grinned.

    “Lets move.”

The changelings tensed and the red pegasus had enough experience fighting them to know that they were going to pounce as soon as he made a movement. So he focused on everything around him, every detail, every small movement, every breath; and found the storm again. It exploded from him, blasting away the changelings and lifting him into the air. With all his might he focused its energy on the exit. Blasting off the steel door and screaming up the tunnel, he flew up past the steps and through two floors bursting through a skylight on the roof, followed by a rush of wind. He had what he came for. Now he just needed something to do with it. He flew into the winds, towards home.

    Roy, Corona and Hertz heard what sounded like a explosion and covered their faces to shield themselves from the blast. “We need to get out of here. Now.” Roy said. “Any ideas how to get rid of this building?”

    “Bombs are already planted Roy.” Hertz said innocently.

    “When did you-- Never mind. I don’t want to know,” Roy said exasperated, “Corona?”

    “All the data I could get is saved.” She said.

    “Brilliant then. Hertz what's our way out?”

    “The window!” The earth pony declared with glee.

    “Wha--”

    Hertz Grabbed Roy and Corona, and with little effort, tossed them through the window. After a moment he followed, and the building exploded behind him.

    Two hours later they were back in Control’s office. A little singed but none the worse for wear.

“Well done you three,” The commanding officer said. “It’ll take a while to crack the code, but it seems we’ve got something good. Corona. Hertz. You’re dismissed. I need to talk to Roy alone. The two saluted and left. Roy watched them go, Hertz chatting and Corona rolling her eyes, but seemingly proud. He turned to face Control, “So is this when you’re finally going to admit you have feelings for me?”

    “You like your teammates?” She asked with a surprising amount of care.

    “They’ll do.”

    “Thought so. You are really fond of them aren’t you.”

    “You planned that though.”

    “Of course.”

    “Figures. I need a drink.”

    “Dismissed to your rising alcoholism.”

    “Thaaaaaanks.”

    Roy left. Control sighed. It had been a long day. If the three hadn’t done so well she would have been worried, changeling movement was rising. Something was happening. And she had no idea what. It was like playing chess against an invisible opponent with hidden pieces.It had been a risky move to give roy a team, but it had payed off. But she could still only see the outlines of her opponent's strategy. She needed sleep. She had been working for 48 straight hours now. And they had been long. And the note wasn’t helping.  “It just blew in the window. Why do we even have a window?” She reflected. The note was printed on a unadorned white sheet of paper. It read: Tomorrow ten pm, your office. We need to talk.

“Celestia. Why does everyone in this business have to be so cryptic?”