Natalie coughed, feeling a huge pain in her chest, the pain unimaginable. She was incredibly lucky the shrapnel didn't go any deeper, though she was leaving a bloody mess about the place. She could see the blur of Victor come closer, his heavy footsteps hit the ground, as she felt him get down, and pick her up, looking at the bloody mess that was left of the room. "I should be dead..." She said, the rain pouring down on the burning portcabin, looking at her chest, and all over. She was right- anyone else, and they very likely would be. Natalie and Victor were a little more thick skinnned than most, after all. In Brussels, Victor and her had taken enough rounds to down a bull, and they had been still fighting. Right now, Natalie knew that a piece of shrapnel like that, a piece of metal cornering that was off the side of the portacabin, should have gone through her like a hacksaw. It hadn't- and wheather it was down to her cleavage, or the thick skinned nature she had, or the chest muscle she had, it had saved her. "God....I love you, Victor." She said, rubbing her hand against his cheek, half smiling as she Maybe even it had placed a rib out of place. Touching it would be bad, but blood was pouring, albeit slow. There was a dragged pile, and seeing it was sickly. As Victor carried her, she blacked out, slowly, as she felt a little light. She had fought hard, but it felt like for a moment of a lapse of concentration, it had gone. ---- [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It4WxQ6dnn0[/url] Natalie woke, looking around. Clambering up, she realized where she was, an unfamiliar place but in perhaps a very familiar suit. This was her armor. The soft touch of the blue satin against her naked curves inside, the kevlar and dragonskin, as well as an inch of ballistic plating reminding her that this was what she indeed was defined by. She felt heavy, barely able to get up, her helmet off, and her blonde hair, not even blown. The air was dry, like it had no humidity, no pressure, nothing. Everything was weirdly white, but almost half-grey. She walked across the blank floor, an echoing noise rolling through, as she felt the weight sink down. It was her old armor, when she was Bear. Looking around, she could see memories. Like photographs, images. Of her at the Olympics. Of her and Victor in East Timor, with Victor's stupid grin. And a selfie in Miami, when Natalie remembered showing Victor the power of her jugs. Well, it was sure an interesting life, she thought to herself. It was empty, like there wasn't a hot heat, or a rising feeling. If this was Purgatory, so be it, Natalie thought to herself. In her armor, sitting amongst the remains of her memories, going through them. All the lives she had taken. Maybe God would wait till she realized something. She didn't know. A tear ran down her face, Natalie wiping it with her huge gloved hands, almost taking half the moisture off her cheek with it. Natalie was a strong woman. But one thing only rang out to her. She would never see Victor again, not till he followed. She had broken a promise to him. And she sobbed, the 7"5 mass of Russian armored female on her knees, crumpling down in tears, as a shot that blew the scene completely out hit her head. It was over. --- "CLEAR!" Natalie heard, as the defibrillator buzzed, Natalie lunging up. She had just had a near death experience. She didn't know how long it was, but it had felt like an eternity in itself. She shuddered, looking towards the sight of the landed Mi-8 Hip, and another squad of Spetsnaz soldiers, that covered the area. They were leaving, and quick, as the sound of distant vehicles could be heard. A patrol returning. There was more of them to come, no doubt. She felt herself be carried on teh stretcher, by at least four men, to carry her weight, and get slid into the back of the Russian Medevac helicopter, as she looked on. She didn't know what Victor was doing, but she sighed a breath of relief. One of the men carrying her looked down. "How are you not dead? I've never seen a chest wound worse...you were out for at least three minutes, I'm amazed you're not dead." One of the Medics said, as Natalie laughed. "Well...somebody likes me, for certain. Can you pull it out? I mean, it fucking hurts." Natalie said, just aware that wasn't a reality, but a delusional thought process. Looking over at Victor, firing his weapon, covering their exit. The GMG roared, as Natalie looked to him, coming back, clambering through the rear clamshell of the helicopter, the weight of his armor significant pushing the helicopter's weight to the back. Dust off was fast, as Natalie felt a IV lead go into her wrist, and a oxygen mask over her face, as she leaned back into the stretcher, a slight tear in her face. Never had Natalie been so sad, to leave this world. She knew it would be like this, but she didn't want to leave her sunlight, her one true love alone in this world. She felt happy to live, and knew that whatever Victor had done, the MEDEVAC had arrived safe and in time. They had left the base quick, and Natalie hadn't caught a single word of what had happened. It didn't matter. "We're going to have to give you a lot of anaesthetic, Natalya, it's..." "No, fucking let me watch. I'm not going light headed again. If it can go in and last there for a few minutes, I'm sure the sight of my big fiance will let me get through it. Trust me." She said, as the Medic looked over. "Are you sure, you're delirious..." "I'm not...and if you think that anesthetic you have onboard is enough to put me to sleep for even a few minutes, it isn't. Do it. You know what you are doing. I do too." She said, still in agony, as the other medic tended to her burns, lacing her- they weren't third degree, and would likely heal, but a little tinge of this event would remain. They would need to pull it out, lest she got infected, or any more blood was lost. And Natalie knew that a blood transfusion was going to be severe. Lucky she was AB, she thought to herself. It would be a hellish experience- she'd probably lost at least three litres worth of blood, if not more. She had several wounds, shrapnel that had scraped her, but not cut into arteries. Anyone else would be dead right now. But the sheer volume that Natalie was meant that she did indeed, live to fight another day. Somehow. The next thirty minutes looked like something out of Master and Commander, with screams revibrating throughout the Mi-8's interior, and medics amazed that Natalie was just watching on, and not passing out. The tough Russian woman had undergone what most would simply call insane medical treatment, by a couple of medics in the back of a helicopter. A blood transfusion, with all the blood that was basically onboard did for now, taking her out of her hazy blur, the fact she was AB being a vindicating factor for Natalie. The shrapnel was partially removed, and a lot of the wounds were healed. Natalie had at least three broken ribs, and more cuts and bruises than could be counted. Her lungs hadn't been punctured, but she was winded- likely down to the loss of blood resulting in less oxygen going round her body. It was a horrifying set of injuries, but in some fashion, Natalie was going to live. [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VbaGWmQfTQ[/url] Looking over at Victor, she smiled, taking her oxygen mask off as she slowly sat up, she smiled. "You saved me. My knight in shining armor." She said simply, smiling, as she knew from his sitting position, and in his armor, he had done little to help with the medical treatment. But then again, he had carried her out of the fires, and called the evac. She didn't know the sequence, but all she knew, was that his armor was dirty, bloodied, and indeed, shining, from the soaking rain. She knew she was like him. But she had to say it, like any woman would to a man like him. "I saw everything we did. Purgatory was boring, they say near death experiences are meant to reveal everything...yet it only revealed you." She said, smiling, words forming as she felt her emotions come out. "You're the love of my life. And I was by your side, when you lay in hospital, wounded. You're by mine. Says everything. We were made for each other. For good and bad, for better and for worse." She said, coughing a little, the blood empty from her throat, where some of the internal bleeding had gone. It was lucky it was cleaned fast- her blood had been transfused in the helicopter, and it was a miracle that they were able to do that onboard. "It's going to take more than a bomb blast to seperate us, Victor. Nothing more would satisfy your Gods, to see us succeed. Set a dynasty. Kiss me, Victor." She said, smiling, just feeling the wet cheek of Victor with her hand, aware she was weak- but strong enough to know exactly that she wanted Victor to snog her, whether he was in his armor or not.