[center][h1]Raven's Rock, Camp Hannula, Pöyrisjärvi National Park, Finland[/h1][/center] [center][h1]The Finnish Home Improvements Centre (or the Armoury)[/h1][/center] [center][h2]2000 Local Time[/h2][/center] Athena set her armour back down in the Heavies section of the Armoury, into the large hydraulically-assisted mount point, helmet off with the high-collar torso piece following, as did the legs, arms and remainder, pulling away. The armour had taken serious hits, and the coil itself needed a refurb- it had burnt everything out completely, to a point where connection points were black and ashen with how heavy the use had been. With a few clasps, the youngest sibling emerged and quickly dressed in a bright gold, branded t-shirt of #AthenaAwesome, cleavage still a little on show and black tights, revealing her pulsating forearms and her thighs tight to the look. Long blonde hair allowed to flow, she could feel the bruising starting to hurt from the BTR, and well, getting slapped by a fucking mech. The adrenaline had poured in her veins richly, considering how much her hearts could discharge, but man, it was shitty. She ran a finger along the line of the scar, and then up the bruising, chuckling. Looking to Freya, and Jamie, bringing himself out of his, she could only smile. "Frey, you missed a really good one. Tons of explosions. And I got to put some voltage into your mutual friend." Athena giggled, walking over and hugging Freya again, burying her head in her shoulder, giving a prick with her fingers into her back, giggling, in response to that. She was a shit, at the best, and worst of times. Deep down though, she was really happy to have her back. "And it is so good to have you back, sis. Honestly. I had to hold down the fort for guys leering at the females of our family. Do you know how hard that was?" Athena giggled with a sarcastic charm, as she looked to Jamie, very much the middle child. "And he was good too. Blowing shit up as well. Anyway. " Athena added, chatting way, way too much again, as she looked around, seeing Chuck peel his armour off, bringing Duke with him to get showered. Jesus. That hunk of man was something. So was Oliver. Was it weird? Eh, probably, but her gaze caught for a while as she looked back. "We should probably see how the others are doing." [hr] Purna meanwhile, quietly pulled the tight suit off him, gently folding the Gryphon into a neat square, and plugged the energy cell on the suit's pack in, laying his MP5, Mk14 and USP out neat, unloaded, inspected, clean. A professional's mark, as he changed into a plaid shirt, a rather old-school thing for such a new-school infiltrator, and a pair of jeans, again, nothing fancy at all. He seemed to almost have the look of someone who dissolved into the background, but Purna liked that lots, as he also headed out of his section, to join the others, and the commotion building from where Skye had appeared after Adam and co had also put away their equipment. He'd dropped his exo, and was still in his fatigues, and still looking as serious as ever. [hr] [center][h1][color=lightblue]Skye Rosalind Lyons[/color][/h1][/center] [center][h1][color=RosyBrown]Adam Stanislaw Kajtanowicz[/color][/h1][/center] [center][h1][color=Goldenrod]Athena Anna Kanataario[/color][/h1][/center] [center][h1][color=Chocolate]Purna Chai Gurung[/color][/h1][/center] [center][h2]About Five Minutes Later[/h2][/center] [center][h1]Superstar Ensemble Assemble![/h1][/center] The scene was a standoff one, Adam hand on rifle, Athena not really needing a gun when she had two large ones in her biceps. Skye saw Ban step out of her shadow, and Enri, scarred yet standing. A new one, given she had no idea, but Ebrima was almost eyeing her up in shock, and Enri rather in anger about it. Athena, Freya and Jamie back together again, many hugs shared, much banter given, and Athena just happy to have her by her side again, in one piece. Sam, Tahlia and Purna all there, and many, many people melding. Yet fuck, not another conflict. Skye interrupted that, her casual, yet forever worn look coming back to it to Ebrima. "The Atlas you mean? We chatted about something about stolen identity, funnily enough. Having new blood.....wait...." Skye replied, as suddenly, Duke lept up onto her, licking away, Athena chuckling and shaking her head, as did Tahlia. "Aww, hello friend! I know, it has been a while! Good to see you too, and in one piece as well!" Skye smiled gleefully, the first time in a long time, as she wrapped her arms around Duke, hugging back, kissing him on the top of the head with the excitable dog woofing and hovering around, giving the Scot a rare reprieve. She looked to Chuck, and to Freya, the two towering over. Since when did Raven have five giants? "Hiya Chuck. Appreciate the assist! And good to see you one piece too, Freya." Skye replied, then turning to Adam, shrugging her shoulders. "Well. I suppose there's my tell. Same blood maybe, same heart as her, but...Duke knows me well at least." Skye giggled, ruffling his fur, standing back up and seeing Adam walk over, the look on his face of concern irrespective. Point taken, he knows who this is, but he still seemed pissed. "Fine. The Skye I know has a weak spot for dogs. Good to have you alive. Though, can I ask what your plan is, Major? You realise how much shit we had to deal with because of your status?" Adam replied, staying stoic, a smile cracking yet getting straight to business. Wow, no thanks? "Adam, it wasn't ideal, I'll admit. But needs must." Skye added, Athena eyeing up the infamous Skye Rosalind Lyons, almost unable to tell what she was. There was a little bit of a legend of course, within what she'd heard in Blue Sword. The kind of woman that took down a giant, and this ghost that ran a team of misfits even more unhinged than her little operation. It all started to make sense. There's a rare moment where a woman almost a foot and a half shorter almost felt like more magnetised than even her own usual extraversion, all eyes on her body dragged by the Highlander's tone. Adam replied to that in turn. "Well, you can't just go rogue when the world's hunting anything that has your face. Did Oracle get you up to speed?" Adam asked, Skye nodding in turn, the navy t-shirt wearing, jeans having redhead's hair a short plume, nowhere near what it used to be, but beginning to form up to what she was once. "Aye. Rose is fucking omnicidal, far as I can tell, she's keen on just cleaning the slate and starting again, with fuck knows what to replace it. She's damaged to all hell, and she's just pulling the trigger before anyone realises what she's doing. We recovered Raven's old data. And another body of Rose's. And the constituent pieces that make up Sol Hestia. And a hacker, Enri, who just figured out just how deep Rose's neural networks go. Which, I assume you just learned about. So I hope it was worth it. Happy?" Skye replied, shrugging her head, knowing well, that was why she was here. Nothing like a serious peace offering to quell the bullshit. "You were busy then. We had our doubts, but you proved us wrong. I was expecting to put a bullet in you." Adam's husky Polish accent carried, Skye replying in turn. If there was one person that seemed to be like an antidote to him, it would be the Scot. As capable as he was, he ran his team tight. Skye perhaps, less so. "Yeah, well, you know me. Can't help it. Nearly fucking died for it though, so appreciate you not killing me at the last hurdle. Rose came after us, and.....there's things that happened. We got her though." Skye added, looking to Ban, then back to Adam, pulling her shirt up and revealing her newest scar, right below her tattoo on her back. "Fuck." Adam commented, the wound a nasty one considering it had freshly healed, but well, Skye was made of stern stuff. It would take a lot more than that to kill her, Adam noted. From experience. "Yeah. It happens. Looks like you lot took a beating too. And brought Viper, Scion and Valkyrie back into the fray. The all-stars. Jesus. I said it, didn't I, they'd bring some right crazies into the fray.....especially Athena, we really must be screwed!" Skye replied to the team, a smile forming, glad to be back with friends, although, the larger woman, well, one of two had another comment to make on that. Skye in turn nodded back to Freya, the regal-haired fellow redhead back to action, and back to this. Still, Athena had something to pipe up on. "Skye Lyons. Shit, everything my sister said you were.....the mere mortal she can't shut up about. So, who's in charge? End of the world kinda problem we have here." Athena asked, Adam and Skye looking at each other, then back at her, the towering, almost olive-coloured blonde coming in between. "Good question." Skye replied, looking back to Adam, a shrug respondent. "Seems like we don't have time to figure that out. Oracle has the overall lead, at the end of the day. And we need two strike teams, and right now I suppose that means we're both leads. Both respond to Oracle. Though.....maybe we need to be a little more ordered, than last time?" Adam asked, a reminisce to times old that they worked together. In a different capacity than Raven, of course, but well, a time that still harkened back. The two clearly had something thicker than what was going on, not that either was entirely letting on. "Jesus. Ordered? I think you need to remember what you came into. And good. I can work with that. We have a world to save, no point bickering." Skye replied, her Scots sarcasm back at things again, stoic and to the point no less. "Fine. I suppose you owe me some introductions." Adam asked, as Skye nodded, looking to the other two, well, now only one considering Ban was being taken away. "Ban Kingo, Enri Uemura. Former Raven, current hacker respectively. Both capable. Both help we need now." Skye replied, as Adam nodded. "We need as much as we can get. Oracle said..." "We have leads coming close and we expect to deploy within eight hours? And the fact that the central server for Rose is currently looking like it's nonsensical to find? Didn't need sleep anyway. World's going to fucking end, so hey. No pressure." Skye quipped, Adam a little more straight in her response. "Yes, indeed. Good to have you back. In a weird way." Adam coolly replied, just unsure how to read her at all, but well, sticking professional rather than anything else. "You too. Don't go being a twat now." Skye replied, Adam shaking his head, Skye knowing he wouldn't go further, being as professional as he was. Ban was being pulled away for medical help, a place that Oliver and Sam had already come from too. No doubt Sophie was beyond pissed, and annoyed at how many hurt team members she had to deal with. At least she wasn't the only doctor on site.... As Adam and Athena came out of the way, Tahlia ran in, and lept up to Skye, hugging her, holding her close and looking back. "Don't you ever fucking do that again! You even had me worried!" Tahlia yelped, Skye chuckling, smiling and looking on at Sam, Oliver, Antti, and Purna behind. "Good to see you again, Tarly. Thanks for holding things down. And nice new legs, by the way!" Skye replied, embracing the Kiwi as Tahlia smiled, a keen look on her face, as Purna pulled to the side, nodding on. Skye observed the new legs she appeared to have- rather than the titanium-carbon based pegs with adapters on the feet, they actually looked more like a leg, and had a greater range of motion on them. Freya's friend must have sorted her out, as it looked like Tahlia was actually walking with something that looked. Tahlia smiled back, but not before Purna managed to come through. To him, it was even a shock- though he hadn't worked with Skye in a while, it was clear there was also some other history. Skye Lyons had clearly inflected herself wide, but perhaps now they were coming back to that. "Miss Lyons, long time no see. I still can't believe you're here. When I heard about the body, I thought you were.....yeah, I should have probably guessed." Purna started, although now he was beginning to put dots together. Bit by bit, at least- that Skye was even another body somewhere else, somehow was still hurting his head. "Yeah, it was a good trick. You and Ebrima been playing fair?" Skye replied in turn, a look of surprise on Purna's face, but well, the fact he was a Gurkha and what she knew of Ebrima, well, it would have been an interesting scene to say the least. One she wished she saw for the first time, Ebrima nearby at least bringing the two into focus. "Eh, it is, what it is. Acceptable." Purna dryly remarked looking to Ebrima, as Skye chuckled, looking around at the others, the fact there were so many people now probably a bit crowded. Skye of all of them caught the eye of Sam. She seemed exhausted, broken too, but Skye found that energy to head over, and well, just simply hug. "Good to see you again, Sam. I kept up my promise....somehow!" Skye added, this personal touch perhaps a little much, but well, considering the events recently, it was rather remarkable. From enemy number one to this, it was quite a turnaround, not even one Skye was sure she'd end up getting. Sam had done a hell of a job holding the team together after that, and silently, she knew Adam had reason to distrust. She was glad that hadn't been the case, and they were all still mostly in one piece. "You did good. Really good. Glad you held your end of the bargain too! And....for what it's worth, not an easy thing at all considering what we're going through. Kameko by the way...I can see where you get it from." Skye chuckled, knowing what Sam had been through- likely as a result of Adam, Athena and Imran, and no doubt everything on top of that had driven the team to breaking point. Even so, the unbreakable spirit of the Scot had to keep going, as she gave a silent nod to Antti, who gave one back, no comments shared there at all. With that, Skye headed away from the groups of others, looking to Oliver, who just looked confused. Well, hopefully he would chill out a bit more now, considering the scene set. With that, Skye turned to him. "I think that settles that situation. You look like shit, Oliver. But still alive and kicking. After taking a slug like that, not half bad." Skye added, looking up to the tall American, who had certainly taken a beating from the railgun in Marrakesh, but well, still stood and kept going. He probably wasn't all up to speed with the situation relating to Skye, but that was fine by her- all of this was a whirlwind, and not much of it made sense. Still, it felt like a whirlwind, as the team mingled, Skye "Alright, team. Get yourselves rested, and our locations should come through in a few hours. Enri, you should join Raphael in the intel room. I know, he's Israeli, I know, he probably took down yours and Ebrima's team, but you should be aware that Raven's not exactly all about revenge, we're more the stop everyone getting neurotoxin in their brains kind of thing. I do know that you know each other, trust me, there's plenty more." Skye commented, most certainly the two of them in shock that she even knew that. That was information that was no doubt suppressed, buried, even Enri would have been outright offended to see Skye know that, but well, she had her measures. Being a team lead came with reading files, and she didn't sit in her office doing nothing when it came to recruitment and people. A good spy stayed one step ahead, and knew when to talk about people. Skye was rather like that. Unconventional, but at the least, she knew when things needed to stay secret, and when maybe some honesty would do some good. Still. Moving swiftly on! "Anyway. Things to upgrade, repair, yourselves to fix, and a job to do. We have a lot of people to save and no time for paperwork." [hr] After all that, the team got to that promptly. Skye was reunited back with her exo, and this time around, a fine looking tool had been wrapped up in attachment next to it, with a note stuck on the barrel. Tahlia's writing on it. "If you come back alive, you'll appreciate this! Hold button shy of trigger for capacitor charge, or just hold for burst." Not bad. Skye had put this on her Christmas list for a while, in replacement of the MG3 as a bullet hose and the SIG as a precise tool, here it was, a prototype M31, an electromagnetic-coil driven battle rifle derived from a SIG-inspired design. A large battery pack under the trigger guard, and a custom-milled cartridge for a magazine in a bullpup configuration. Smiling, she checked the sighting, and shrug her head. Not bad, for a tool like this. She whistled, rotating the rifle around, and then looked over to the others, milling around, checking over their new equipment. Tahlia was able to spend time with the team now. In the interim, the team could consult her, as well as anyone else regarding equipment, tooling and gear. This was probably the penultimate chance for the team to equip upgrades, and considering the missions ahead, the final form of each of the operatives was getting closer and closer. The location of that server, and the deployment point for Sol Hestia was getting closer. But with Henry's confessions, Raven's old data, the intelligence gained in Marrakesh and Nagoya, as well as that of everything up to now, the feeling was one that even Skye felt the weight of. There was pressure, a deep-seated. And worse, the fact she'd brought Ban back into this hurt her inside. She hadn't really said it out loud, said what she felt. She had caused that, not Enri, and whilst it felt a little ambiguous, there was a chance Skye had just let her mask slip, for even a second, and given that away. Painted herself red and let the bulls charge, and Ban's father had been collateral. Rose in a way, was right. She pushed down those feelings. Adam, across the room much the same felt the weight of this command again. It was difficult to manage, especially someone like Athena who threw herself in the way of things as much as she did. [hr] [center][h2]0200 Local Time[/h2][/center] [center][h1]Short Slept[/h1][/center] The phone buzzed by Skye's bed, as she groggily reached over, grabbing the device, putting ear to receiver. Barely any sleep in the last few days, and what little there was, was interrupted. "Yello?" "Oracle here. We have an update, three targets, urgently. Ferrovia Two, a recently developed geoengineering platform offshore in the western Azores, a data centre on board what appears to be a blimp over Newfoundland, and a receiver station at an rare earth minerals mine in southern Greenland. We need you deployed within an hour." "Sorry....a blimp?" "It's an unusual one, but we can't just shoot it out of the sky. We need to sever the link. And any Sol Hestia on board. We have possible ideas on how to get you there, but appreciate it won't be easy." "A fucking blimp....and the other two targets are hard to hit. We got any help?" "You name the resource you need. I've been told we practically have the entire free world's arsenal at our disposal. Adam is on Ferrovia, you're on the blimp, and I'll let you task who you need for the mine in Greenland. Insertion methods and intel are to follow within twenty minutes, our teams are around the clock." "Now, when you put it like that....copy, Oracle. Keep me in the loop." Skye began thinking about the situation, and disconnected on his prompt. In particular, how to deploy the team, and how to make this work. It would be messy, but there was a lot of thinking to do. She'd come to the team when she was ready with a plan, but with that, Skye was up again, and with a big yawn, clambered out of bed and with it, knew Adam would have the same matter to manage. For the data centre in the sky aboard the blimp, anyone deploying to that would likely need a more specialised loadout- the heavies would be ruled out of armour if they went, and the mediums even would have to forego exoskeletons they usually used. As for Ferrovia, the floating platform sat off the coast in the deep sea, an oil-platform like terminus, requiring the use respirators, SCUBA and other equipment. And as for Greenland, that would be a task of itself. Not one Raven would live down. Skye and Adam would allocate the team shortly, and it would be a matter of time before the full details come through.