//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Debrief // Story: Ghosts // by Booni //------------------------------// The Ghost squad made their way back to the Canterlot Castle to inform Princess Luna about what they had found that night. Upon their arrival, Switchback was sent to the castle infirmary, while the remaining pegasi headed to their HQ. The Ghosts' Headquarters were situated directly underneath the castle's throne room. Nopony had access to the area except the Princesses, a handful of lunar guards they had specifically chosen, and, of course, the Ghosts themselves. In the headquarters themselves, there were four rooms designated to each specialist, a canteen, a private gym and combat training area so that they could keep their skills as sharp as possible, and a meeting room, where the team discussed their missions and held briefs and debriefs with the Princess of the Night - the creator and leader of the Ghost organisation, despite Quickdraw being the squad's commanding officer. Prisma and Speed left for their personal quarters to clean up and get some rest. However, Quickdraw, thinking it would be best to inform the Princess of the situation sooner rather than later, made his way to the meeting room and sent one of the guards stationed outside to find Luna and inform her that the Ghosts were back. "Yes, sir," the guard dutifully replied before leaving. Quickdraw entered the meeting room and placed his camera on a desk off to the side, looking for the photo of the board with Wonderbolts members before sitting down at the head of the main table for a moment, sighing and rubbing his forehead with a wing. "One of these days Switch won't be so lucky if he carries on getting himself into situations like that," he quietly muttered to himself, before chuckling. "Hell, if we're lucky, next time Speed will get captured twice a goddamn week, and Switch will get to save him. Maybe that way he'll realise how annoying it is to save someone who shouldn't need saving in the first place." "We take it Specialist Switchback was captured and interrogated again?" A posh voice broke the stallion from his thoughts, startling him as he stood up straight and acknowledged his superior's presence. "Yes, Princess. However this time he was captured by an unknown enemy. They wanted information from him about the Wonderbolts. When Specialist Speedster and I rescued him, I found some sort of plan that they have in the works, although the information is not much to go by," Quickdraw explained. He picked up the camera and connected it to a visualiser, showing the photo of the board - different members of the Wonderbolts dotted around Captain Spitfire, who was circled and underlined, showing that she was clearly of some importance to this force. "As you can see, there is nothing other than the faces of different members of the Wonderbolts that gives away any plans, although, judging by how Specialist Switchback was being treated, I believe this organisation is most likely hostile, and has some sort of plan to attack the Wonderbolts." Luna analysed the photo for a moment, then turned away, considering what course of action to take. "Very peculiar," she commented, "We do not have enough evidence to assume that their intentions are hostile. However we must take into account the skill of this force. Even with Specialist Switchback's track record, Ghosts cannot be attacked and captured by just anypony-" "Which means that what we're suppsoedly up against aren't just anypony, they're a very highly skilled military force," Quickdraw elaborated, to which Luna agreed. "Indeed, Commander." Luna thought for a little while longer. She was almost certain that this organisation posed a threat to the Wonderbolts, and if the Wonderbolts were under threat, then no doubt all of Equestria could be under threat. The Wonderbolt Organisation was also the Princesses' most powerful and most advanced military service after all. However, she could not make any rash decisions based on a mere assumption. "For now, we would like your squad to investigate. Gather as much information as you can, with evidence, and report back to me. Do not engage in direct combat unless absolutely necessary. We do not want to come across as a threat to them, unless we discover that they are indeed a threat to us like we are assuming now." Quickdraw nodded and saluted, "Yes ma'am. Should we consider a replacement member for Specialist Switchback until he recovers?" "No, you will not be engaging in combat unless it is absolutely necessary, so his skillset is not currently required. Rest assured, as soon as he recovers, he will be rejoining you, Commander." Luna responded, sensing the hidden worry that Quickdraw had over his lifelong friend. She dismissed him and left the headquarters, allowing Quickdraw to relax for the first time in a long while. With nothing else to do, and everypony else occupied, Quickdraw decided to give Switch a visit. Though, he couldn't figure out what to say first - should he express his relief that Switch was okay, or vent his frustration at the fact that this was now the fifth time that the impulsive meathead had done this in the past year? It certainly didn't help the fact that if there was anypony that couldn't be captured, it was supposed to be the Ghosts. They weren't called Ghosts for nothing, but Switch had been really pushing it lately. Seriously, how can somepony get himself into the same situation so many times, and not only survive, but go and do it again? Quickdraw's thoughts came to an abrupt end as he heard a series of muffled shouts coming from the direction of the infirmary. He trotted towards the shouting, and upon hearing who it was, instantly frowned, ears folding back in frustration. "Switch! Get back here! You're not supposed to be out of bed!" Quickdraw opened the door to the infirmary and instnatly saw Switch being held back by three nurses, while a fourth was shouting at him from his room. "I'm fine! Get offa me!" Switch yelled at the nurses whilst struggling to break free. Quickdraw noted that if Switch really was fine, then he would have no problem getting free. He walked up behind and placed his hoof on his friend's shoulder and spoke calmly. "Switch, go back to bed." Quickdraw's authority effectively silenced all those present, even Switch. Well, for a few seconds. "Quickdraw, I'm fine. Rea -aah!- Really!" "Really? What about this, did you really think I wouldn't hear that little moan in the middle of your sentence? Go back to bed. That's an order." Even though he knew Quickdraw his whole life and wasn't afraid of him in the slightest, he was still a superior officer. Grunting, Switch turned back and allowed the three nurses to take him back to his bed. Quickdraw followed behind and when they entered the room, sat down on a chair beside the bed. He watched as the nurses slowly lowered him onto the bed, and when he was comfortable, checked with him to see if he needed anything before they left. Switch asked for a drink of water, so the four nurses left, and one nurse returned with a bottle in her magic, placing it on the bedside table before leaving the two alone in the room. For a while, neither of them spoke, partly because both were annoyed for different reasons, but mostly because Switch knew what was coming, and Quickdraw knew that Switch knew. "So, this is the fifth time now," Quickdraw finally broke the silence, watching the white stallion's face scrunch up as he hid it under his jet black mane, "When are you gonna learn Switch?" “Yeah Switch, even I know this!” a light-hearted voice snaked its way into the room, somehow unnoticed by the other two. Quickdraw sighed, the mood of the moment ruined by the newcomer. Switch, on the other hand, was befuddled. “Speed? What are you doing here? How did I not even see you, I’m facing the damn door for Celestia’s sakes!” he questioned. “Hey, I ain’t the squad’s infiltrator for nothin’.” “Right, I get that, but how are you that good? I mean, I had to have seen you come in, that’s just impossible!” Speed smiled cheekily at Switch’s comment about his antics being impossible and raised his eyebrows. “Is it?” “Well, yeah, I’m not blind,” Switch said, not noticing the blue pegasus’ smile. “Then how did I do it?” “...guess you are that good then.” Off to the side, Quickdraw, while slightly amused with Speed making a fool out of Switch as usual, was still annoyed that he ruined the mood. Looking back at Switch, he repeated his previous question. Switch sighed and turned to Quickdraw, answering sincerely (for once), "I know. Listen, I just snapped. I know I say that every time, but you know me, I don't think about what I'm doing most of the time," "Yeah, I do. But even you should've learned after five times now, that blindly attacking a squad that outnumbers you is one of the dumbest things somepony can do. Even with your size, you're not invincible. You need to remember this." Switch rolled his eyes, expecting to hear the talk again, but he had to admit, Quickdraw had a point. He really needed to start thinking before acting. What he didn't expect, however, was the small praise he received immediately afterwards. "You did a good job though, I guess. I mean, thanks to you, we learnt that the Wonderbolts might be under threat, and we have a new assignment from Luna. That doesn't mean that I'm going to let you off this time. In fact, you're gonna stick with me at all times until we're dont with it." Switch's mood immediately fell, and he turned to Quickdraw with pleading eyes, silently begging him that this was a joke. "I'm being serious. No more gallivanting on your own." Quickdraw confirmed that he was in fact not joking, much to Switch's demise. "Fine." Satisfied with Switch's acknowledgement of his 'punishment', Quickdraw got up and turned to leave. He wanted to tell Switch that it wasn't as bad as he thought, but he also felt that he needed the punishment to seem as horrid as Switch thought it could possibly be, so that perhaps this time he would learn his lesson. Just before he closed the door, he turned back and looked at Switch with an abnormal amount of emotion present in his eyes. "Get some rest. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow. And please, I don't want to see someone so close being hospitalized so much. One of these days you won't be so lucky. I don't want to have to bury you, bro." With that, he closed the door and headed back to his quarters. Switch smiled to himself as Quickdraw left. "Huh, sounded like the old you for a second there-" “-Daddy has to hold your hoof from now on? Awwwww, little Switchy’s been a naughty colt, hehehehaha!” “...damn it.” How Switch forgot Speed was even there, he will never know. Prisma lay still in her bed, thinking over the conversation she overheard between Quickdraw and Luna. They probably wouldn't be deployed for the rest of the weekend, so she thought it would be a good idea to catch up on some aim practice tomorrow. I really need to get better at hoof to hoof combat, she thought to herself, but truth be told, she just much preferred fighting from a distance. She always felt more in control of the situation that way, and felt that if she ever engaged in hoof to hoof, she would panic too much. That's the point, dipshit. If you got better at it you would panic less. She argued with herself in her head for the next few minutes. Eventually, she sat up and started preening her wings out of silent irritability as she couldn't think of what to do tomorrow. Screw it, I don't need to practice my aim, Prisma concluded. With that, she decided it would be best to get some sleep. There was no point stressing over what she should practice, when she should be worrying about who these new ponies were. It was getting quite late. The moon had replaced the sun long before they made it back to the castle in the first place - she would be lucky if she got around three or four hours of sleep at this point, assuming her insomnia won't keep her up. At least Speed doesn't worry about everything all the time. That kid doesn't give a shit. I wish I could be like that sometimes.