//------------------------------//
// Behind the Mask 
// Story: The War on Sombra 
// by MaskedFlame073 
//------------------------------//

	Back at the camp, the Wonderbolts have successfully pushed back the invading force. Every medical tent is filled, and no doctor has a spare moment. But one tent has been sealed for an unusually long time; Booker's tent, in which there was a pegasus liberated from Sombra's ranks due to a forceful kick in the helmet. He had a grey coat, white mane, and a star-shaped scar over his right eye.

"So, do you remember anything?" Booker asked the pegasus.

"Not much, just...fear. Everything leading up to that helmet being put on my head is just fear." The pegasus said in a deep, gravelly voice, laying on a stretcher.

"No worries, I'm sure it'll come back eventually," Booker said, as he pushed himself away from the heart rate monitor. "Well, all your vitals are normal, and I'm not seeing any neural interference, so you should be all good. Still, I'd like you to stay here for a while, just to make sure."

The pegasus nodded, closing his eyes. "Thank you, Booker."

Booker smiled, sitting down at a table, on top of which was the pegasus' helmet. "Not a problem," He said. "Get some rest, I'll see if I can get anything from this thing," He said, picking it up and examining the crack along the front side of the helmet.

Some twenty minutes later, Rainbow burst into the tent. "Heya Books! How's everything hangin?" She yelled, waking up the pegasus.

"Aah! No! Get it off!" The pegasus screamed before coming to his senses and catching his breath. "Haah....sorry. Bad dream."

Booker sighed, setting the helmet back on the table. "Rainbow, you really need to learn some bedside manner," He said, clearly exasperated.

Rainbow chuckled. "Sorry. But hey, you're awake!" She said, looking over at the pegasus.

"Yeah, but I don't remember much besides my name. It's Mike, by the way," Mike said, a little sheepishly.

Booker smiled, turning to the two pegasi. "Well, now that introductions are out of the way, I have a question for you, Rainbow. How did you manage to kick hard enough to crack an inch and a half of titanium?" He said, tossing her the cracked helmet.

"Holy crap, my kick did that?" Rainbow asked, dumbfounded. "I mean, I knew I was strong but...dang. Good thing you were wearing it, Mike, otherwise I'da probably killed you!"

Mike chuckled, pushing himself up on one hoof. "Same here."

"Anyway," Booker interrupted, "I think I've isolated the mechanism used to instill obedience in you guys," He said, gesturing to Mike. "Now, there are two options here. One, I can build an EMP with a specific wavelength to disrupt these things, or I can build some kind of controller, in order that we can turn all Sombra's soldiers against him and take him out for good. Only problem is it'll take a little longer."

"Duh, build the EMP! With Sombra's soldiers down, we can just kill 'im straight up!" Rainbow said, a gleam in her eye. "Heck, I'll take him out myself, get revenge for my wing!"

Mike shook his head. "Not so simple," He said. "Sombra's powerful. A surprise attack using his soldiers will probably be more effective than all of his soldiers suddenly gaining consciousness. He'd see an attack coming, and barricade himself in. Best to take him by surprise."

"And let even more ponies die in the meantime?! I don't think so!" Rainbow retorted, beginning to fume. "We'll hit him fast and hard, no two ways about it!"

"Will you two cut it out?!" Booker yelled, causing Rainbow and Mike to suddenly stop. "I'm with Mike on this, better to make sure it works rather than risk this war going on longer than it needs to." Rainbow began to interject, but Booker quickly raised his hoof. "That's final. It won't take that much longer, anyway. Especially if you let me get to work right now." Rainbow sighed, defeated. "Fine. Just make it quick. I'm going to help with repairs," she said, leaving the tent.

Booker sighed, turning to the helmet and beginning to tinker with it. "She means well, you know," Mike said. "Kinda blunt and headstrong, but that's 'cause she believes in what she thinks is right."

"A true embodiment of Loyalty, if I've ever seen it," Booker said, smiling. "Still, it'd do her some good to quiet down every once in a while."