Taking hold of my SA80, I swing it around to the front of my body and rest the butt of the weapon against my hip. With the weapon pointed towards the direction of the advancing Diamond Dogs, I compress the trigger and fire off fully automatic into the cluster of enemies. Casings rapidly eject from the weapon and clatter against one another as they impact the ground around my feet.

As the cocking handle locks to the rear, the group of Dogs collapse against the floor, thirty rounds from the magazine making quick work of the group. Ejecting the empty magazine, I quickly replace it before turning towards Tempest as her stance relaxes slightly. Looking back towards the main building, I switch the weapons around so that the SA80 is against my back with the shotgun in my grip.

"It'll probably get up close and nasty in there," I state as I glance at Tempest. "You're sure we can handle this with just the two of us?"

"If you do what I tell you," Tempest states confidently as we approach the main door.

I scoff as we reach either side of the doorway, my back pressing against the wall as I peer around the corner into the large hallway that waits for us within. "It's like the fucking Tardis; bigger on the inside." I state in an irritated tone as we look inside the building. The structure which appeared small from the outside is much larger in scale that it initially appeared.

It seems to be some sort of makeshift warehouse, sloping downward as it seems to go underground and stretching beyond the compound walls. The first ten metres of the room is built on a level surface with dozens of crates resting alongside conveyor rollers which are elevated above the floor on the left side of the room, allowing items to be placed on them to be rapidly transported underground. On the right appears to be a manual pulley system to pull the goods from underground to the surface. Large steel pipes stretch along the ceiling, connecting from the hallways on either side to further down into the underground complex.

We rapidly enter the room and move between the stacks of boxes, checking every corner to make sure there aren't any Diamond Dogs waiting to ambush us as we pass them. Coming to the end, I look over the edge as the floor slants down. I cling onto the shotgun as I watch a group of rapidly advancing Diamond Dogs running up to greet us.

Before I can react, Tempest seems to take the lead as she jumps onto the rollers and begins to rapidly descend towards the advancing Dogs. The momentum is enough to allow her to slide at a rapid pace on the roller bars until she closes the distance. Meeting the Dogs in the middle, she jumps directly towards the largest target with her hind legs sticking out in order to drop kick him directly in the muzzle.

The largest Dog drops before Tempest turns her focus to the others. Needing to close the distance with the enemy to engage them effectively with the shotgun, I jump onto the rollers and lean back so that I slide down with my shotgun at the ready. Waiting until I'm as close as possible, I fire off the first shell.

The pellets all impact against the Dog's back as he attempts to strike Tempest, the force of the shell causing him immediately to slump forward and collapse. I roll to the side in a fairly unceremonious manner, colliding with the concrete floor with a heavy thud before rising to my feet. Pulling on the fore end to eject the shell, I hurriedly push the fore end forward before advance on another target and fire the new shell directly into the rear of his leg.

The close proximity and power of the weapon is enough to separate his leg from the knee, blood spurting violently and bone fragment propelling from the severed limb as he flails around uncontrollably. As Tempest continues to engage with another pair, I release my shotgun and allow it to rest against my chest as I reach into my webbing and pull out my bayonet knife.

Jumping for one of the Dogs, I grab hold around her neck as I leap onto her back. As she swings around frantically in an attempt to shake me loose, I plunge the steel blade into her shoulder blade in a downward motion. Her arms flail in an attempt to strike me, only for me to repeat my action by forcing the blade into the right side of her neck before slicing along the front of her throat.

As she begins to collapse forward, I jump from her back and land alongside Tempest and the last Dog. Tempest delivers a series of rapid kicks against the torso of the Dog until he lands on his back between my feet. Kneeling down over his head, I deliver a rapid series of stabs against the front of his head, the second strike impaling his left eye.

Pulling the knife free from the Dog's head, I wipe it clean against his fur before standing and returning it to my webbing. Turning to Tempest, we both examine our surroundings further. The tunnel itself seems to descend underground for about fifty to one-hundred metres. Crates and barrels are stacked at various intervals on purpose-built platforms. Positioned another twenty metres down the tunnel is a set of corridors extending out to either side, likely leading into individual rooms.

Stepping to the closest crate, I pry the wooden lid from the top and peer inside at the contents. Reaching in, I grab the first item I come across. Twisting it in my grip, I'm unable to make heads or tails of it. It appears to some sort of handheld slingshot built in a similar fashion to a crossbow, a small basket of sorts cocked to the rear with nowhere physically visible to insert the crossbow bolt.

I peer into the crate once more and pull out a small sackcloth, containing a series of fuse lit grenades. Looking between the grenades and new weapon I'm able to put two and two together and figure out that it's some sort of makeshift grenade launcher.

Snapping me from my trance, a series of bullets tear into the wooden crate before me, causing myself and Tempest to quickly duck down to take cover from the bombardment. Kneeling down, I slip one of the grenades into the slingshot and peer around the corner to find a large group of twenty dogs advancing from the bottom of the tunnel with various weapons, ranging from old rifles and crossbows, to captured Equestrian rifles and Lances.

Reaching into my webbing, I strike up one of the matches and press it against the fuse of the grenade. As soon as it's lit, I drop the matches alongside me and adjust the weapon to aim above the approaching group. Not being certain as to how far the weapon will throw the projectile, I'm unable to accurately predict how high I need to aim.

Firing off the grenade, the weapon propels the explosive device so it lands in front of the nearest Dog, rolling down the ramp to pass him and reach a pair in the centre. The force of the detonation is enough to throw one of the Dogs over a cluster of barrels while the other is thrown to the side where he collides head first into the pulley system.

The large group instantly responds with a heavy barrage of fire, bullets and magical bolts which impact all around me, forcing me to seek cover. As I keep low, I switch weapons and take a hold of my SA80 as I glance over to Tempest. "We haven't exactly got much time! What's the plan!?"

Tempest edges slightly to the side to peer around myself and our cover towards the left side of the wall where there is a break in the rollers to allow access to the hallway. "Stay here!"

"Come again!?" I respond in surprise before popping above the crates to return a short burst of fire to prevent the Dogs from advancing. "While we're getting swarmed with more of them coming!? Excuse me while I withhold my enthusiasm for that plan!"

"It's simple! We both go in there and we'll be trapped! You're supposed to be this big intimidating soldier! Prove it!" Tempest calls out before running around the corner without any warning. I let out a groan of frustration at her bluntness, stepping around the crates and firing fully automatic to suppress the enemy as she moves. As soon as she reaches the corridor, I leap behind the next set of metal containers.

With a quick glance, I catch a glimpse of her tail as she disappears out of view, leaving me all alone in a large firefight against a rapidly approaching group. The only thing that gives me an edge is my rifle. Loading a fresh magazine, I press down on the bolt release catch and forward assist the cocking handle before keeping low and shifting around the corner.

Lining up my sight at the first target, I fire off two shots which miss and hit some of the storage containers which the Dogs continue to use as cover as they continue to push towards me. Not wanting to be swarmed, I fire off a fully automatic burst which works to slow down their advance.

As I navigate the various corners of the hallway, the continuation of John's weapon firing echo's off the walls around me. As I get further and further away from him, I begin to move room to room in order to try and find my target. The first room I enter on the left brings me to a stop as a large gas container sits centrally with large steel pipes connecting to it and spreading out to various corners, leading into different rooms. A well-placed stick of dynamite here could likely have a chain reaction and bring most of these tunnels down.

As I step back into the hallway, I soon find myself standing between the main tunnel and two large Diamond Dogs as they towards the end of the narrow passage wearing full steel armour. Nopony moves as I eye them up, assessing their weak spots and trying to figure out how I can exploit them.

Finding the gaps in their armour, I rush towards them and sprint along the left side of the room. Closing the gap, I swiftly switch sides in the passage and press my hooves against the wall as to allow me to leap over my targets. As they attempt to look up in order to stop me, I deliver a sturdy and sudden blow with my hind leg into the throat of the closest Dog, releasing a loud crack as he splutters violently from the air being forced from his windpipe.

As he grasps his throat as he frantically wheezes for air, it leaves me with only one target to fight. The last Dog begins to swing towards me with speed and vigour, attempting to slash at me with his razor-sharp claws. With each slash I take another hop backwards, wearing him out as he attempts to continually strike me.

Waiting for an opening, I use his own momentum against him. Ducking low, I rush towards him and lean to the side, allowing me to slide between his legs to end up behind him. As soon as I'm behind him and out of his winging arc, I deliver an effective blow into the rear of his unprotected knee, causing his leg to buckle with the force.

As soon as he is knocked off balance, I jump in order to gain a height advantage. As soon as I'm above him, I bring my forehoof back and jump directly for the side of his head. He falls to the floor with little effort, his eyes rolling back before his eyelids clamp shut as he falls into unconsciousness.

With him taken out of action for some time, I turn my attention to the Dog whose throat I attacked. As he begins to finally recover, I turn to him and glare directly at him. Before he can react, I use my magic to use his steel armour against him. The electrical bolt conducts through the metal layer over his body, allowing the shockwave to run through his body as he violently spasms until he comes to a stop on the floor.

Satisfied that they're dealt with, I continue around the next corner where I'm instantly met with gunfire. A set of bullets impact with the wall alongside me, causing debris and fragments to rain over me, cutting into the exposed skin on the side of my neck.

Instinctively moving away from the fragments being thrown towards me, I duck to the side and observe my three attackers as they reload the rifles the Equestrian Guards who accompanied John were equipped with. Quickly reaching into my saddle bag, I promptly retrieve one of the green orbs and flick it upwards, whilst it is held in the air before me, I kick it directly into the centre of the trio of Dogs so that it shatters.

The magic contained within quickly dissipates and canvasses the group, causing them to petrify where they stand. The trio is soon confined within stone husks of themselves, unable to move or communicate in any way whatsoever. With no more threats, I reach the doorway which they seemed keen to stand guard at.

Galloping towards the door, I barge directly into the weakened wooden structure and force myself through, snapping the lock off of the wall. Finding myself in the room, I quickly duck as I catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye swinging for my head. Turning my gaze, I hop backwards as I find a sword a few inches away from my muzzle in the grip of the Diamond Dog I'm after.

As she attempts another swing, I force a magical shockwave into her centre of mass, throwing her off balance as she stumbles backwards and releases the sword. To my surprise, she regains her composure quickly enough so that she is able to launch a series of counter-attacks. Her first strike collides with the side of my horn as I attempt to pull away, with the second slashing along the side of my neck. The force is enough to knock me off balance as blood runs over my fur. Before I can react, she lunges towards me and takes a hold of me as we both fall to the floor.

Tackling the closest Dog, we both collide on the floor as I pin him down underneath my weight. Seizing the opportunity, I press the barrel of the SA80 against his gut and double tap him in the centre of the sternum. As blood preys from the open wounds, I jump up and aim towards the next target.

I'm unable to react before he fires his rifle. The projectile collides with the left side of my abdomen, knocking the wind out of me as the force of the impact leaves me feeling as though I've been struck with a sledgehammer to the gut. Lowering my gaze, I find the steel plate has become deformed from the impact and has been torn through, yet breath a sigh of relief as I find the remnants of a musket ball positioned in the new opening as it's been stopped by the Kevlar.

Releasing a pained scream, I rapidly close the distance to the Diamond Dog which shot me and barge him with my right shoulder. The collision sends us both rolling to the floor as I land on top of him. Bending my arm, I jab the elbow directly into the side of his muzzle with enough force to dislodge a tooth as it clatters to the floor. Pinning down his head, I take control of the SA80 as it hangs below my chest and force the barrel into the underside of his muzzle before firing.

The round exits the top of his skull with enough power to propel bone fragments across the floor along with forcing brain matter and blood onto the crate beside us. Panting for breath, I roll off the lifeless body behind cover as another volley of bullets land around me, peppering the body I was just positioned over.

"I... I can't keep fighting this many," I state to myself between breaths as I reach for another grenade and lights the fuse.

"You don't need to," Davies informs me in a confident tone as he speaks to me inside my head. "Let me take over. I'll deal with it."

"Can you take on this many?" I ask with caution as I try to fight for breath, looking over the numerous corpses that are scattered over the floor from where I originally dug in.

"They're gonna keep coming until you kill them all or once you're dead. You're already struggling to keep up. May as well tap out and let me take over."

Checking my magazines within my webbing, I let out a frustrated grunt at the recognition that I'm running low on ammunition for the SA80, meaning I'd have to rely on the shotgun, pistol and sword. "Fuck it... Just don't get me killed."

"I wouldn't dream of it." With that, I close my eyes and bite my lip as agony races through my bones.

With one final twitch, I finally gain control as I reopen my eyes. Slowly cracking my knuckles, I take a knee as I adjust all of my equipment. Wanting to take the fight to the Diamond Dogs, I keep the shotgun close to my body and unfasten the clasp on the swords sheathe to allow ease of access.

Reaching into my webbing, I take out a pair of grenades and rest them on the floor alongside me as I retrieve the matches. As I open the matchbox to get a match, I'm able to hear someone climbing over the box in front of me. My improved hearing is able to perfectly place the Dog as I instinctively reach into my pistol holster with my right hand. Without looking, I point it towards the source of the noise and double tap the trigger.

A Diamond Dog lands alongside me with a pained yelp. Casually turning my head to him, I find two bullet wounds placed perfectly centre mass as he drops his own weapon to cling onto the bleeding opening. Cracking him a cocky grin, I press the pistol to his head as I turn back to the matches, pulling the trigger and feeling blood splash over my right hand followed by the sound of a heavy thud.

Holstering my Glock, I drag the match across the striker pad and ignite the tip before placing it on the fuses of both grenades. Taking hold of the grenades, I nonchalantly roll them around the corner on either side of the crate and take a hold of the shotgun and pocket the matches as I wait for the grenades to detonate.

The blast from the grenades rips through the tunnel sending shrapnel and a plume of dust into the air. Once the smoke and dust provides me with the most cover, I climb over the box and begin to sprint towards the first Diamond Dog who's still standing.

I fire off a pair of shells as I close the distance, the first tearing into his leg muscles and ripping away the flesh as the second round imbeds the majority of the pellets into his gut. Continuing to take advantage of the confusion, I jump onto the roller bars and lie on my side as my momentum is enough to send me deeper into the tunnel as I rush past a large group of enemies which have been caught in the blast of the grenades.

Sliding past a group of four Dogs, I fire off the rest of the shells that remain in the weapon, downing each target and taking the remaining number of Diamond Dogs down to five. Rolling off the conveyor system, I land on my feet directly in front of a Dog as he attempts to fire his rifle at me.

Using the outside of my left forearm, I jam it full strength into the side of the barrel and knock off his aim, causing the shot to go off to the side of my head. The close proximity of the weapon firing alongside my head causes my ear to ring painfully as my hearing becomes distorted.

Not letting it affect my fighting, I expose his grip on the weapon by reaching over and taking a hold of his paw as he tries to keep a hold of the weapon. Twisting the joint, I'm able to force him to release the rifle before taking control of it for myself in order to use it as a club, impacting the side of his head with the butt of the single shot weapon.

As he stumbles into a section of barrels, I take my shotgun and thrust the muzzle into his abdomen and apply pressure to ensure that he can't get up. Grabbing the fore end, I pull it back in order to eject the last spent shell and make the weapon ready to reload. As the Dog struggles to get back up with the weapon keeping him down, I take hold of a fresh shell and insert it into the shotgun before sliding the fore end forward to make the weapon ready.

Pulling the trigger causes the weapon to fire point blank into his internal organs, the pellets tearing through the delicate flesh as they rush through his body and tear into the metal container behind him, causing a mixture of blood and a dark liquid to mix together as they run down the ramp of the tunnel like a trough.

Releasing the shotgun so that it hangs by my body, I quickly draw my Glock and swap it into my left hand before grasping onto the handle of my sword and unsheathing it. With both weapons at the ready, I advance back up the ramp as the dust and smoke finally settles.

I'm able to catch the first Dog off guard as he is still looking up the passageway after having likely been thrown off by the earlier grenades and gunfire from various positions around him. I fire a single shot into his thigh, causing him to lose his footing and crumble to the floor as I close the distance. As he turns to face me, I chop downwards with the razor sharp edge of my sword to effortlessly slice into the side of his neck.

The combination of the weapon and force of the strike is enough to sever his head, causing blood to propel from the opening as the severed head falls alongside his body and stops alongside the corpse of one of his fallen comrades.

By now, the last of the Diamond Dogs know my position as they open fire towards me. Their frantic and rushed aiming causes their shots to hit everything but me, impacting various containers and even the floor around where I stand. Deciding to use the fear factor to my advantage, I release a powerful and terrifying scream as I charge straight for the group with my sword at the ready.

The change of tactics from hunkering down and taking them on at range, to charging their positions is enough to put them on the back foot as their frantic attempts to reload under pressure are unsuccessful with one Dog equipped with an Equestrian rifle dropping the magazine as she attempted to place it into the weapon.

Since she is the biggest threat based upon her weapon compared to the others, I engage her first. Reaching the group, I plunge the blade into the left side of her chest, using all on my strength to push the sword through her entire body so that the main length of the weapon is protruding through her back. As I'm pressed against her, I fire off three rapid shots into her gut. The combination of attacks is enough to cause her body to go limp as I withdraw the cold steel from her body.

As I turn to the last pair of Dogs I glare directly into their eyes as I prepare to strike. As soon as I push off with my feet to lunge for the next target, an ark of electricity runs through both of their bodies, causing the pair to slump forwards as they convulse. As they fall forward, I look up to find Tempest standing at the entrance of the hallway she previously disappeared into, a series of scratches and cuts evident on her body.

"Davies, just finish this quick and give me back control," John instructs me in my head as my eyes scan over the Unicorn. "I don't exactly want everyone seeing that I'm not always in control of my own body."

"Eugh... fine," I groan quietly under my breath. "I guess I'll go back into my cage." Returning the sword to its sheath, I quickly fire off a single shot into the head of each stunned Dog. As their bodies finally come to an end, I lower my gaze and close my eyes as I return control to John.

My body momentarily fights against me, writhing until I finally have control of my body once again. Standing up straight, I place the pistol back into its holster as I approach Tempest. I notice her looking at me with weary eyes as she studies me. "Have you still got the explosives I gave you?" Tempest asks as steps back into the hallway.

I look at her with curiosity as I reach into my belt line and take out the last of the explosives. "Yeah. Why?"

"Figured I'd put this place out of commission," Tempest remarks as her magic takes hold of the stick of explosive as she disappears into a side room. "Get ready to run out of here when I say," She shouts to me from within the room.

"Get ready to run?" I repeat in confusion. "What's going on? Did you get your target?"

"You ask a lot of questions," Tempest calls to me from the other room. "Yes. she's dead. And I'm about to blow the main gas line in this place, so this will destroy the compound. Unless you want to become a chargrilled ape, I suggest you run when I tell you to."

I remain motionless as my eyes widen at the realisation of Tempest's plan as I scan the large pipes hanging overhead which stretch throughout the hallway and tunnel. If she blows the pipeline then this whole place will likely go up. With all of these weapons and explosives stored nearby, this whole tunnel will collapse and this entire area will go up like the sky on bonfire night.

I'm snapped out of my trance as a series of shouts comes from the bottom of the tunnel. Focusing on the source, I quickly draw my pistol and take aim as I find another large group of approximately twenty-five Diamond Dogs advancing up the ramp with rifles. Firing off a few rounds to suppress them, I duck around the corner of the concrete hallway as the bullet fragments and debris bounce off the adjacent wall at the opening.

"Tempest! We need to move! Now!" I urgently shout out to her as I blindly fire off the last of the pistol magazine around the corner and begin to reload.

It only takes a couple of seconds before Tempest is rushing out of the room and towards me. Advancing around the corner Tempest gallops up the ramp and begins to weave between various crates to avoid the incoming fire. Mimicking her action, I follow her path as we both try to run to the exit as quickly as we can.

As we prepare to go over the top of the ramp to reach level ground, I watch as a Tempest is thrown over the top from the impact of a bullet, blood spraying from the top of her right foreleg as she tries to suppress a pained scream. As I finish the climb to reach her, I find her attempting to stand with a bullet wound on the outside of the leg as it bleeds profusely.

Kneeling down alongside her, I holster my pistol and take a hold of her injured leg in an attempt to lift her up. This seems to throw her off as she initially pushes me away, "What are you doing!?"

I roll my eyes as I ignore her protests and again attempt to lift her. "Unless you wanna become a chargrilled pony, stop fighting and shut up. Any delay is likely gonna get us killed."

Despite her stubbornness, Tempest seems to quickly realise this as she gives up trying to pull away. Lifting her, I place her over my shoulders so that both of her left legs are hanging around my neck and over the front of my chest as I keep them wrapped in my left arm. With the rest of her body resting on my shoulder and her right legs resting over my back, I sprint out of the door and into the still burning compound.

Not wanting to stick around, I run out through the opening we initially came into the compound, advancing towards the treeline in order to get some natural cover between us and the explosion which is due to follow.

BOOM!

The shockwave of the explosion throws me off my feet, causing me to land face first into a natural ditch. Tempest is throws from my back and lands alongside me as the area behind us lights up in a series of large explosions and roaring flames. As I look back, I watch as the exterior walls and main building crumples under the force of the shockwave and following detonations, sending debris raining in our direction and landing all around us.

Turning back to Tempest we both examine her wound, to which her eyes widen as she realises how much trouble she is in. The bullet has not exited the leg but seems to have struck a major blood vessel as she bleeds profusely, covering her entire leg in blood.

Kneeling in front of her, I reach under my utility belt and struggle to take hold of the belt buckle of my uniform. Finally unfastening it, I pull it from the belt loops of my trousers and wrap it around her leg moving it to the top of the limb I quickly tighten it as much as I can, causing her to wince slightly from the pressure. Looking around me, I find a small yet sturdy looking stick and place it underneath the belt, twisting it in my grip to apply even more pressure to cut off the blood flow.

As the flow of blood seems to decrease, I reach into my webbing and take out two shotgun shells and rest it alongside my knees. "Have you got any forceps in your saddlebag?" I ask Tempest as I take out my phone and switch on the torch.

"N-no," Tempest shakes her head as she closes her eyes in an attempt to fight back the pain. "What are you doing?"

I grimace slightly as I take out my combat knife and look at her. "I need to get that bullet out and stem the bleeding."

"We can't do that here," Tempest protests as she looks back at the burning compound, the sound of explosions still tearing through the jungle as the underground tunnels still continue to collapse.

"If I carry you further, the belt will come loose and you can bleed out. I need to get the bullet out and cauterize the wound."

"Cauterize?" This seems to alarm her as she looks at me.

"I've got little fucking choice. I'm not a medic so this is all I can do." Shining the torch into the wound, I find the bullet embedded in the flesh. "I need to get it out then stop the bleeding. If I don't then you can bleed out."

Tempest doesn't argue as she gives a heavy sigh, "Just get it over with."

Putting the phone down, I position my knife at the wound and slowly push it into the opening. I notice Tempest biting her lip and hissing in pain as I try my best to get to the bullet. It doesn't take me long to dig underneath the bullet with the tip of the blade. With a quick fluid motion, I pop the bullet free, causing Tempest to groan in pain as a sudden spurt of blood escapes from the opening and splash me in the face from the proximity.

Turning my head away, my face scrunches up as I taste the distinctive coppery taste that comes with blood. Spitting to the side, I clear the blood from my mouth and lips. "Oh dear God, it got in my mouth!" Shaking the disgusting thought from my head, I pull the knife way and begin to cut into the bottom of the shotgun cartridges.

As soon as I make an incision, I position the shells over the opening on Tempest's leg and slowly pour the gunpowder into the wound. I know this isn't ideal and can lead to an infection, but It's the best bet to stop the bleeding until I can get her to a medic or doctor. Once the powder from the shell has been emptied, I take the matchbox out of my pocket and withdraw three matches before quickly igniting them.

Moving them closer to the gunpowder, I look at Tempest and wait for her. "Ready?" Tempest only nods her head as she watches me. Exhaling slowly, I press the cluster of matches against the gunpowder. Within a second, the powder ignites and produces a small plume of smoke as it cauterizes the wound. The flame dies down in seconds as Tempest attempts her best not to scream from the pain, clamping her teeth shut.

Throwing the matches away, I quickly examine the wound to ensure that there is no further bleeding. Thankfully, it seems to have worked as there is no signs of any further bleeding. Not having any bandages, I grab hold of my left sleeve and knife before cutting the fabric around my shoulder. Once it has been separated from my shirt, I quickly position it over the wound and tie it up in an attempt to keep it covered to reduce the risk of infection.

I look over Tempest for a moment as she examines my handiwork. "You gonna be okay?" I ask her with some concern. Tempest slowly nods her head as she foolishly tries to stand, only for her leg to give in. "You're not walking on that." Standing up, I offer her my hand. "Come on." Tempest is initially reluctant before she concedes, offering me her hoof where I pick her up once again and place her on my shoulder. Making sure I have everything, I begin to follow the route we took to get to the compound, the remains of the building shrouded in black smoke as ammunition which was stored within can still be heard igniting.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walking for hours, my body finally hits the wall as I find myself unable to go any further, my legs threatening to give in. We were able to leave the jungle and return to the Badlands, ducking into a location where we previously set up camp. We tuck into a series of large boulders which are positioned at the base of a hill, which act as a series of natural walls, giving us high cover and only allowing entry via two points.

Coming to a stop, I set Tempest down carefully on the floor before moving opposite to her and sitting down myself. Reaching for all of my weapons, I lay them down alongside me as I begin to check how much ammunition I have left for all of my weapons.

As I'm counting through the shells left for the shotgun, Tempest breaks the silence. "You stayed behind to help me when you could have left me."

I slowly look up at her, cocking a brow in confusion. "Yeah?"

"Why? You could have just left me behind and escaped by yourself."

"Three reasons." Sitting up, I begin to remove me webbing as I look at her. "You still need to provide me with the intel I need. Second, you could have left me when I was fighting those Diamond Dogs and blow the place, leaving me none the wiser. Finally, I'm not the kind of guy who is just going to leave others behind."

"But I already gave you the list of potential attacks, no doubt you have those who can figure out other ways of getting the intel. We just also destroyed a major manufacturing facility for the Diamond Dogs, which was what most of the intel I was going to give you was about."

I consider what Tempest has told me as I think about the intel she was mentioning, knowing full well that the intel could have come another way. "True, there likely would have been another way to get the intel you have, but I'm not just gonna choose if I help someone based on their usefulness. I agreed to help you and that's what I've done. Even if it also came down to giving you life-saving medical treatment."

Tempest remains silent as she looks over her shoulder, following her gaze I notice she's looking over the cluster of rocks towards the thick black smoke which is still hanging over the jungle. "...Thank you."

I crack a small smile upon actually hearing something remotely nice from her. "What happened to the 'tough attitude' you had to maintain?"

Upon saying that, it quickly returns as she decides to glare at me. "You ruined it."

"Yeah, I have a habit of doing that." Looking at my exposed arm, I slowly run a hand over the tattoo. "What's next for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You gonna go back to be this 'big bad mercenary'? Or have you got other plans?"

Tempest shrugs as she removes her saddlebags. "I don't really make any plans. I just go from one job to another and keep moving. No point in settling down."

"How come?"

Tempest sighs as she lowers her gaze slightly, "I learnt a long time ago that I can't rely on anybody else to help me. I've had to look out for myself for my entire life, and that isn't going to change."

"It isn't a weakness to need help from others," I state as I lean back slightly, pressing my hands into the ground to support me. "You don't need someone twenty-four-seven, but sometimes it's good to have somebody who watches you back." I nod my head towards Tempest's bandaged wound. "Without me, you could have bled out in that jungle and likely wouldn't have gotten to your target."

Tempest considers this for a moment before nodding in agreement, "True."

"And at the moment, you only do work for whoever is the highest bidder?" Tempest responds with a nod. "Then why not come take a steady job where you get regular and reliable payment? You clearly have skills when it comes to fighting... Why not come work for me?"

"You want me to join with Equestria?" Tempest asks with some disgust evident in her voice.

"Not Equestria. Me."

"I don't understand."

"I need those who can fight and those who will stick behind me. So long as you're paid then you'll stick around. I'm not talking for you to join the Army, but I will soon be in need of personal guards." I state as I tilt my head back to look to the stars overhead. I'm gonna need my own personal guards when I'm a Prince, and I won't be able to use Sunny and Chaser if they're still in the Army. So I'll need to start finding my own guards.

"I'll need some guards to 'protect me'. I think that you'll be able to watch my back like you did today." I chuckle softly as I gesture to my head where she previously headbutted me, "I already know you can fight. I can give you my full pay as a Captain in the army, along with the additional pay of a Royal Guard. You'll have somewhere you can actually stay and you'll also have someone who you already know will also watch your back. Interested?"

Tempest remains quiet as she turns her head away in thought, likely considering what I've just offered her. We remain sat in silence as she sums up her options before turning to me, lifting up her injured leg with a coy expression, "If you actually get somepony to fix my leg... I'll consider it."

I match her expression, "Deal." Hearing the sound of flapping wings overhead, I grab my rifle and jump to my feet, aiming towards the source. A grin comes across my lips as I recognise Chaser and the rest of his Section as they're flying towards the source of the smoke to likely investigate. "OY, CUNT!" I shout at the top of my lungs with a cocky grin on my face.

This quickly grabs the Section's attention as they all change course and land around me. "Let me guess," Chaser starts as he looks at me with an amused expression, "That smoke is because of you?"

"You know me too well," I chuckle as I step towards him and ruffle his mane. Stepping past him, I move around to Tempest who is eyeing the rest with mistrust. "We need a lift back to the base to get to a Doctor. Any chance you can get a chariot or something to give us a lift?"

Chaser rolls his eyes, "Only because you asked so nicely." Turning to the rest of his Section, he removes his helmet and secures it to his webbing. "Gaea Shield, Sure Strike, head back to camp and get some form of transportation. We'll wait here for your return." With that, the pair acknowledges the order and quickly take to the air. Knowing that we'll soon be heading back to base, I lie down alongside Tempest and take out my phone, closing my eyes as I select a song at random and finally take an opportunity to relax as I wait for my makeshift taxi.

Who knows, maybe she'll be a good personal Guard.