"Wake up! Wake up!"
"Wha?"
"Get up, Flight leader! It's happening! Rainboom Squadron is finally going to have some action!" the young cadet screamed, trying to be heard over the deafening alarm.
Rainbow Dash woke up from her bunk and into a flurry of activity. The men and women of the Equestrian Royal Air Force were running around in panic, mostly in their underwear, some even nude or half nude to their changing stations or their assigned battle stations. For Rainbow Dash: bra and panties
"What is your major malfunction, private!?"
"Something is attacking Manehattan! Everyone is preparing to scramble!"
Rainbow joined the cadet and everyone else at the base in the chaos. The once empty metallic hallways were filled with pilots, air traffic controllers, ordnance loaders, flight technicians, officers and airmen of all rank and file scrambling in various states of undress and all talking about "The Manehattan Monster.” Rainbow Dash was among them, scrambling to her locker and eventually to her plane like the rest of the flight under her command. The focus and internal planning ended when an arm pulled her into a long abandoned room, and into the arms of her commanding officer.
"Soarin? Did you fake an alarm just to find us some alone time?" Rainbow asked as she got on the tip of her toes to share a kiss with her superior. She began to worry when he held her shoulders and forced her to her feet.
"No, this is not a fake alarm."
"Oh."
"Look Rainbow Dash, This is no drill. Something is attacking the city. I don't know what it is or even how to stop it. But, they want Rainboom as the first responders."
"All right!" Rainbow screamed in joy.
"NO!" Soarin raised his voice, which caused Dash to stay still. "This isn't a game, this isn't a war trial. This is real life-or-death shit, Dash. Look, I know you're excited to earn your wings, but please promise me you won't do anything suicidal or reckless. I don't want to lose you."
"I’ll be fine, Soarin. I won't be fine if everyone starts asking where I was."
"I understand. if this is the last time I can say this before you fly: I love you, my little wonderbolt."
They ended the conversation with a long and sultry kiss, underneath a flickering fluorescent light. She left the room and into the continued panicked hallways of the base.
* * *
For the Equestrian Royal Air Force: Metallic was the “in” thing. The walls were metal, the chairs were metal, the desks, the one-hundred seat lecture hall style room was all metallic. The lecture hall was standing room only, with the twelve pilot strong Rainboom Squadron and another squadron: "The Fighting Griffons", also was sitting in the first few rows of the hall. Everyone else in the room were mostly pilots with a random assortment of the ground crew.
Soarin was front and center and began as soon as everyone quieted down from a signal from his hand.
"Now, you all probably seen the videos, the images, the reports, the descriptions by now, so I'm going to tell you what you already know. For those who haven't…"
Soarin had a remote control in his hand. He clicked the small red button and the screen behind him came alive: A live look at the monster from a news helicopter. A few people jumped back at the fleshy abomination that was on the screen. Rainbow Dash didn’t flinch, but she was creeped out nonetheless.
"As you can see, this is no average target. Currently: we have no idea what this thing is, if there are more, or even if they are from another kingdom and we are under a military attack. Right now, we are dealing with the here and now. As of now we have been ordered in the air to 'observe and report'. The princesses have been alerted and are currently weighing their options… They’re even considering going nuclear."
Everyone felt uneasy at that point. For the princesses to even consider a nuclear strike on their own soil showed the amount of desperation they had in stopping the monster.
"Our battle plan is as follows: Rainboom and Fighting Griffon squadrons will be the first in the air, they are to observe the situation. unless you have explicit instructions to engage the target, you are not allowed to engage the target."
Soarin gave Rainbow Dash the death glare shortly after he gave the no attack order.
As Soarin gave orders to the ground crew in the audience, Rainbow looked over to the far end of her row. At the far end was another female pilot, one she knew.
When she was in the Wonderbolt Academy, she befriended another young flyer named Lightning Dust. Like Rainbow Dash: she pushed herself, she pushed her luck, and she pushed her superior's nerve. As a result, she lost her chance to be a Wonderbolt, the formal name for an Officer in the Air Force, and a chance to lead her own squadron. Rainbow Dash talked to her from time to time, and even talked to Fighting Griffon's squad leader about the pilot: she was getting better, but still tried to push her limit at times which endangered not only her but the flight as well, if the simulations were correct.
"As I stressed before: We don't know what we are dealing with. So we need you and your planes alive to fight another day. This is not a death or glory mission. Good luck and godspeed. Dismissed."
* * *
"So listen up because I'm only saying this once!" Rainbow Dash commanded, a giant paper map of Manehattan sprawled out before her on top of two fifty-five gallon drums. Both Rainbooms and Fighting Griffons were surrounding her. The bright blue and yellow jumpsuits stood out among the olive and black clothing of the ground crew.
"The current flight plan is for both of our units to circle the island, above the helicopter ceiling and away from each other to prevent any mid-air collisions. Remember. We cannot go unless I give the order in the field, which is relayed by command. Do not try to be a hero. Alright, let's get after them."
Everyone began to walk to their planes, which were bunched up in the taxiway getting the last minute fueling and weapon loading. They would have to wait until all pilots were ready to fly, so they were not scrambling to their jets. Especially when the flight leader had a few words to say to one of the other pilots.
"I know you like to push yourself, Lightning Dust, but please do what is ordered. This is no simulation. One mistake and… I don't want to lose you or anyone in this."
"I understand, Rainbow. See you in the sky." Lightning replied as she made her way out of the hangar and to her plane.
Rainbow Dash had one more person to say goodbye to, this one was behind the large concrete hangers, looking at the small yellow dots in the distance, even with the city being so far away, the smoke from the fires can be seen.
"I envy you, you know? First crack at… Well whatever the hell that thing is. All I got to deal with when I flew was bombing unprotected rebel targets from 'insert third world country here'. Soarin said as Rainbow Dash leaned on him. His hand wrapped around her as they watched the city in the far, far distance.
"Will they really nuke the city?" Rainbow asked.
"I doubt it, but if they are I'll give you guys a heads up. It's not like we are dealing with a military invasion and I don't want to lose anyone in this."
"By 'anyone' you mean me, right?"
"Whatever makes you happy, Rainbow Dash."
She turned around and began to kiss him, he returned the love and they continued for a few minutes. Rainbow was deep in thought during that time, contemplating how she would explain to everyone how a 20-year-old would be dating her 35-year-old commander. She wondered if he felt the same. Either way, another part of her brain told her to shut up and enjoy the moment.
The kissing ended when they heard someone coming. They broke off the kiss and moved away from each other, made it look like there was nothing going on between them. They both looked in the direction of Spitfire when she came within view.
"Shouldn't you be chalking some messages on your ordinances, Flight Leader?"
"I understand the tradition, ma'am, but, I prefer to let my payload do the talking."
"I like your style, Rainbow Dash," Spitfire said as she joined them in looking at the dots in the distance. All three in thought, all three contemplating the shitty situation everyone in the city was in at that point.
"Anyway, I'm going to the war room. I think it's time for the Rainbooms to hit the skies, Rainbow. Happy hunting." Spitfire said after what seemed like forever. She left the two through the hanger side door.
"I think I have to go," Rainbow Dash said, putting herself back in Soarin's arms.
"Go get em, Rainboom One."
They shared one last kiss, one that Rainbow felt like it was the best kiss she had ever received. After a final round of 'I love you's', she left the back of the hanger, through the confusion and to the tarmac. The runway was bustling with pilots, getting into their planes, weapon loaders clearing their gear away from the tarmac, fuelers removing their hoses from the path of the jets.
"What took you so long?" the cadet asked as he wrote one last message in chalk on a bomb on Rainbow's plane.
"Business," she replied as she started going up the metal step ladders and in her cockpit. As per her tradition, Rainbow clipped three pictures throughout her instrument panel: one of her and Soarin during her Academy graduation, another of her friends back in Canterlot High, and another of her family.
With that, all there was to do was to wait for the other planes in front of her to start their ascent into armageddon.