---

”I’ve never even met this one.” He verbally shrugged at Chuck’s comment. He never met her and she never met him, but they both knew the other. Okay, maybe she knew less than he thought since she mispronounced his callsign. But it was generally sound thinking to keep track of the competition in their line of work. He knew she was ruthless, he knew she was brutal for brutality’s sake, he knew she saw people as resources rather than a team, but he also knew she had a short fuse and an ego the size of Manhattan and durability of a soggy paper tissue.”Wasn’t worth my time or good enough money. She’s just jealous of my reputation and record, that’s all.” He added, loud enough for Luisa to hear.

If the indignant Spanish screech was of any indication, it worked.

Luisa knew Ebrima was a mean son of a bitch in close quarters. She knew trying to tire him out was suicide. She knew he fought dirty and liked to keep his opponents off-balance and that he was used to being outgunned. But Artemis had eyes and ears everywhere, and through them she knew things few did. Not the whole story, but more than most, even if in disjointed pieces that were still sure to get him off balance when used at the right time.

The shoulder mount indeed kept the Cameroonian moving, from small dashes to leaping between catwalks, the micro missiles blasting them apart and sending them down below, hopefully away from the other two Raven operatives. Not like Chuck would even notice something like a piece of grating falling on his head, but Ban might struggle with that. He took a few pot shots back at her with his shotgun, the AP slugs harmlessly deflected away. Fortunately her gizmo wouldn’t protect her from one of mankind’s first scientific advancements as Ebrima switched to the M 25 - no, not an automatic grenade launcher, fire - launching two grenades at the apex of a flying cartwheel between an adjacent catwalk and the one Luisa was on. Luisa expected frags which she thought would be caught by the field generator, but some sixth sense compelled her to move anyway, however, and it ended up saving her life as the fireball didn’t engulf her unprotected face and respiratory system, but suddenly finding parts of herself on fire was enough to allow Ebrima to close in. Kukri drawn, Luisa just barely withstood a flurry of attacks against her face, shoulders and hands, her still-smoldering BDUs leaving faint smoke trails as she moved and only realizing many of his attacks were feints when the blade smacked the fingers of her right hand. The armored glove made sure she kept her fingers, but it hurt enough to make her drop her Pecheneg, the sling severed by one of the preceding attacks, Ebrima immediately sending the weapon clattering down among the catwalks with a kick. Luisa took advantage of that brief drop in his guard, grabbing a hold of the hand that wielded the curved blade. “That will make for a nice souvenir.” She hissed. Seeing the open-faced helmet Luisa wore, he smiled, ever so slightly, under his helmet and pulled the pin of one of his flashbangs while it was still in the pouch.

Ebrima patted out the burning grenade pouch, unaffected by the flashbang inside his armor, except a little sore under it where the grenade exploded, taking further advantage of proper choice of equipment and headbutting Luisa in the face. “Hijo de puta!” she growled through her now broken nose, intercepting the kukri clawing at her throat as her vision cleared up from the flashbang. She kicked the Cameroonian in the chest and stepped back to get enough distance between them to launch a micro missile volley and end it right there and then...

LNCHR ERR
CHCK SNSR

Both of the targeting cameras on her shoulders and the backup one on the side of her helmet had a spiderweb of cracks running across them, crippling the system. By the time she realized what he had done, she had just enough time to draw her machete before the relentless albino was upon her once again. Her blade was bigger and had a nasty spike on it, allowing for a nice bit of versatility with false edge strikes, but his was faster and more nimble. An external observer might have seen two figures in exosuits dueling with cold weapons and assumed two knights have warped into the future, even their fighting style matching that of people trying to deal with full plate armor. Realizing their weapons couldn’t penetrate directly, the fight devolved into trying to wrestle their opponent into a position where they could ram their knife into a weak spot, Ebrima’s weapon better suited to the task against Luisa’s roid rage and brute power. “I’m gonna make a fortune selling parts of you.” She hissed, “I wonder how much people made from your sister?”

It worked just as well as she thought. In that moment, the Cameroonian saw red. His attacks increased in frequency, but the execution suffered. Luisa did get hit, a strike drawing blood from her left arm, but it was well worth the opening she found. Feinting low to set herself up, Luisa switched back mid-swing, the spike finding its target in the shoulder joint of Ebrima’s exoskeleton, disabling that entire arm. This was starting to go South, somewhere around DRC, and although Ebrima had a brief excursion up to Sudan as he managed to nick her armpit and draw blood, Luisa quickly sent him back down to Antarctica when she stuck her machete between the exoskeleton and his right arm, physically immobilizing it for the time being and before he could wrench it free, she drew her sidearm, leveled it at his head and fired.

It felt like sticking his head into a metal bucket and having someone hit it with a bat. His HUD disappeared, there was a spider web of cracks across his field of view, something smelled like an electrical fire in the helmet and he found himself on the ground on his back all of a sudden with a killer headache. At least the machete fell out of his armor, a saving grace as the Colombian woman stood over him, his kukri in one hand, her Mateba Model 6 in the other ready for a Coup de grâce.

Bang, bang.

Two shots rang out. The knife and revolver fell to the ground as Luisa stumbled backwards, holding onto her stomach where a blood stain was growing with both hands.

Ebrima held his Origin in one hand, pointing up from where he lay. Shooting at that range, the deflector field simply didn’t have enough time to alter the slugs’ trajectory in a meaningful way, and at less than two feet between the muzzle and the target she would have had to be wearing a hippo for a ballistic plate to withstand a double tap.

The Cameroonian picked himself up, disconnecting the shoulder servo to regain the use of his left arm. He was hoping the mission would wrap up fast, carrying the weight of the now-dead part of his exoskeleton on his arm would get tiresome quick and his head wasn’t feeling right either. At least he could consider the fact his face would have the color it was supposed to for a few hours a silver lining, until the bruise decided to change color from black to blue, green or some other color it fancied.

But first there was something else that had to be taken care of. Picking his knife back up, he caught up to Luisa who was stumbling along the catwalk, trying to get away. One swift kick that could have won the FIFA world cup downed the bleeding Colombian. “¡Eres un pedazo de mier-” A stomp on her neck cut her off, making a sound like breaking a few days old baguette.
Throwing his destroyed helmet aside, he hauled her body over to one of the others, using them as macabre sandbags as he switched to his rifle to provide covering fire to whoever needed it the most, taking a few seconds to steal a regular kevlar helmet from the dead Artemis rando and plug its headset into his radio. ”Boomer, Shimura, say status when able.”

---

Down Low

The gurgling crunch of Luisa’s head was brutal, as the other Artemis mercs almost stopped in a staggering kind of shock, watching on, blood splatting plenty over the immaculate white of the lab-like algal labs. There was very little between Raven and the tank, given their leader had just been felled like that, it was a statement more than anything. Like an army had seen their Queen on the field of combat get squished like a cockroach into gravel.

But there were more coming in. Lighter equipped, but Boomer, Shimura and Boraro had some mopping up to do. Through corridors, open hallways, and over gantries, this was a small army, but well, so was Raven. They were close enough to kill the tank’s contents however, and this was simply a case of pouring the counteragent. While not getting shot.

“Wilk, Poseidon, what is your status?” Called out the familiar voice of Vincent, the VTOL still out of range, considering the SAMs were still active. But, he wasn’t planning on staying away long.

“A bit occupied! We’ll create you a window soon, hang tight!” Adam yelled out on the comms, the Pole not knowing just how intense the fight was above, but given they had a crazy German pyro on rollerskates and a gigantic flame tank with more engineering knowledge than the Unabomber up here, they were not exactly of help.

“Downstairs team, how are we looking? Can you neutralize the tank?” Adam yelled, the sound of what was a gigantic belch of flame audible in comms, and from below audible too.

Chuck laughed as he released the chain on Lucille’s handle as he heard Ebrima’s reply. He laughed, his voice full of amusement as he replied. “Okay Yeah I can see that. But just saying if you need any pointers…” He laughed as he used the chain attachment to whip Lucille into a soldier, the hit crushing the man’s skull. He began to sweep the heavy weapon back and forth to clear an even larger area around him, still conscious of comprising the tanks. Chuck was doing his best to take as many soldiers out of action as fast as possible and draw the most attention. He was trying to open the way for his team members to do their jobs. About that time Adam came over comms asking for a sitrep.

Chuck: “Well sir, Boraro is making friends. Shimura is doing… well ninja stuff and I am playing baseball with the entire Artemis army down here. We are a bit busy sir. We will see what we can do to speed this up”

Ebrima plugged in his new headset just in time for the boss’ call. Far from the collected individual he’d known until now, but at the same time Ebrima had too big a headache to investigate what that flamethrower noise in the background was. In theory, their current task was an easy one, within a shorter distance than one walked to get a cup of tea in the morning, but Artemis knew. Where was that invisible knife nut when one needed him the most? ”Boomer, how’s your armor looking?” The barking of the shotgun at times overpowering the lower-quality mic he was now using, ”Can you neutralize the toxin under fire if I thin them out from up here?” A screaming Artemis operative fell past where Chuck was.

Chuck kept fighting. It seemed the more of these assholes he took out the more came in. They were literally beginning to pile up around him. He kept taking shots to his armor but most of it had been lower caliber than what the Russian Heavy had used on him. Thank goodness for small mercies or he would be in more trouble than he was now. Chuck had been fighting with the tank about 5 feet behind him. He had his back to it and had been fighting the soldiers in front of it. They had all been firing indiscriminately around the tank. Chuck had been trying to protect it from enemy fire. They didn’t want that tank to rupture before the toxin could be neutralized. Chuck heard Ebrima’s question come over comms. He checked on his armor integrity in the HUD display. His onboard AI showed him the damaged areas. “Boraro my outer armor integrity is down to 50% in the chest and backplate. My inner armor integrity is holding for now. I am in position to neutralize the tank. I can do it. Trying to give myself enough time to reach it. It feels like Artemis has bad guys on tap and are aiming the firehose at us.”

Chuck moved faster letting out a yell as he caught Lucille by the handle and broke into a sprint charging into the oncoming line of soldiers. He put all his muscles and as much speed into it as he could. He took out as many soldiers close to him as possible. He then spun firing flechettes from his wrist launchers as fast as possible, spraying the next wave. He only needed enough time to reach the tank.

Hearing the thudding footsteps from below, Ebrima didn’t even need to know where Chuck was and where he was going as an idea bloomed in his head, potentially spawned by a mild concussion but if his brief time with the outfit indicated anything, certainly in character for the group. Bounding between the algae racks, Boraro reached a group of four mercs that had just shown up, aiming to reinforce the control room below by the direction they had been going before he appeared in their midst, grabbing their rear guard and kicking the third man in the stack, sending all three down the flight of stairs like world-ending dominoes. They’d be back soon, but Ebrima only needed a little bit of time. A few seconds would do.

A crack, a snap and with some persuasion the poor bastard’s shooting arm had another joint on it to prevent him from being stupid as he threw the man over his shoulder, holding him up with one hand while swapping to the M25. Wearing the cursing merc like a ballistic backpack, he could rain fire and fury down onto the mercs Chuck couldn’t get at easily until he depleted the magazine, all the while safe from the three that had gone back up the stairs as they tried to get an angle that would let them do something about it, too slow to do so before the Cameroonian turned around to deal with them properly.

Chuck’s charge swept out in an arc, clearing the space around the tank. His flechettes took out most of the next wave. Chuck: “I’m going for the tank.” Chuck kept his momentum as he focused on reaching the tank. He began to look for ways to get the neutralization agent into the tank. He spotted a feeder chute that was used to add chemicals to the tank. It had a locked door on it. Chuck didn’t bother trying to decode the digital lock. That was not his area of expertise. He used his strength to break the door off. His back armor was taking a beating as guns bore down on him as he presented a large target for Artemis soldiers. The collective bullets ate away as his back armor chipping away at its integrity. Suddenly there was a lull in enemy fire. Chuck seized his opportunity. He popped open the compartment in his leg armor where the agent was held. He dumped it into the chute. He fell against the tank as something heavy hit him from behind. He held onto the tank as he hit the button that would flush the agent into the tank. “Neutralization agent in.” Chuck was having trouble moving his torso. His back plates were jammed, and it felt as if something heavy was hanging off his back.

‘Okay, now they’re just copying our style.’ Ebrima thought as he caught the sight of someone trying to stick a long knife between Chuck’s back plates. Well, if it worked for medieval men at arms trying to deal with an armored knight…

That glance back was enough for the three Artemis Mercs to approach, hesitant to shoot for fear of striking their friend still on Ebrima’s back. A quick glance at them, then back behind to check the direction. Once again, to gauge the distance. There wasn’t a third as Ebrima braced his boot against the man on his back and kicked off, dropping him on the guy bothering Chuck from two stories up before addressing his own three problems, Kukri drawn and about to start opening them up like Amazon packages.

Chuck was suddenly thrown against the tank again. He grunted at the impact but suddenly he could move again and the heavy weight had been removed. He looked down to see what had fallen and kicked the two soldiers at his feet out of the way. He spoke into the comms so the whole team would know. “Toxin Neutralized. Thanks for the assist Boraro.” He smiled as he pulled out his carbine and switched the rounds over to armor piercing. He let the carbine hang on his battle harness before he reached behind him and engaged his shoulder mounted MK48 FUN Gun. The large heavy caliber gun was mounted on a gimbal system and he braced it by his hip as his right hand found the trigger, his left hand supported and guided the barrel. He was surprised that the loading mechanism was still working after all the damage his armor had taken. Normally this heavy caliber machine gun would be tripod mounted. Only Chuck’s size, strength, and armor allowed him to carry this beast into battle. He laughed as he turned around. “Come and get it!” He yelled out to the soldiers who had now reached him. He guided the shoulder mounted gun spraying armor piercing rounds into the oncoming lines. Artemis soldiers went down like he was cutting through a wheat field. The heavy armor piercing rounds sometimes blowing through more than one soldier at a time. “Can we blow this popsicle stand yet?”

“Affirm! Shit is getting spicy up here, we got the SAMs down though! Vincent, we need close air, now!” Adam yelled back, knowing this was likely the only way they were taking out Laura, as well as other bits of the structure. There were an endless amount of them coming, but they were so far holding. Just.

“Yes sir, en route! I have your tracker locations, so I can direct fire into the structure to cut them off from reaching you. Every hit will weaken it, so make your markers count!” Vincent replied, the cool Senegalese engaging the weapons system on the VTOL, ready to provide some long-range CAS, as he let the VTOL take a route on a long orbit, and picked up the team. Rounds would take a while to go down, particularly the 40mm rounds, but they’d make a hell of a bang.

“Copy that Vincent, ground team need support as a priority, a fuckton of hostiles inbound! Boraro, Boomer, call it where you need it, they’ll rain some fire on who you need, cut off any routes towards you and start pulling back! We’re still occupied up here!”

Chuck spoke into comms again. “Wilk confirmed air support. Is the team ready to exfil? Please Confirm?” Chuck asked Adam to confirm they were on their way out now. He saved the remainder of his heaviest ammo for vehicles and switched to his carbine. He was careful with his ammo usage and was aiming and one shot or double tapping as he moved. “Boraro, Shimura, What is your status?”

”Ready to get out of here.” Ebrima growled as he finally twisted his hand far enough to shoot the merc pinning him down with his sidearm. ”Are we going back the way we came or making a new exit?”

Chuck threw back his head and laughed. “Finally! I get to blow shit up! Boraro I like that option. I can make a new exit. I have explosives and grenades with me.” He kept firing and moving towards Ebrima. He was working to clear a path to his teammates.

The 40mm rounds slammed through the walls, sending a couple of men flying and blatted into the hard concrete off walkways, revealing daylight through walls, and making no effort to conceal it. The heavier 90mm rounds picked a gigantic hole into the structure from the VTOL’s left strut, then the 40mm rounds followed and laced an entire group of enemies closing in on them, sending shrapnel and smoke everywhere.

"Mon amis, happy to help!”

Chuck almost casually caught the man that Ebrima had thrown in his direction. He punched him and threw him into a crowd of his friends. “Boraro, start making your way down. Structural integrity is going to start getting dicey.” Chuck focused on the wall opposite Ebrima to give the man time to leave his lofty perch. Chuck began to pull pins and lob grenades to close off the entrances to either side of the tank. He didn’t wait to watch the explosions as he turned and lobbed two more frag grenades towards the wall opposite Ebrima’s perch. “Time to move!” Explosions began to light up the chamber, the noise deafening as grenades went off one right after another. Screams mixed into the chaos as soldiers were caught in the blasts. The two he had lobbed at the wall punched a large jagged hole in the side of the metal building. Daylight was streaming in. The other side was slightly messy as he had caught some of Artemis on the other side of the wall. “Oops Clean up on aisle ten!” He laughed as he moved to the hole in the wall. You could hear the servos in his armor whine as he pulled and pushed with his hands and feet making the hole in the wall larger. The metal siding peeling back like tin. “Your exit, good sir.” Chuck’s tone was laced with amusement.

Ebrima descended from the catwalks with a few boosts from his jump pack, cushioning his fall with some Artemis guy who would not hear the end of it when he reunited with his buddies in the afterlife. He made a break for the wall Chuck had weakened, visibly stumbling and having to steady himself against a wall or railing several times. Luisa rang his bell good, but for a point blank double tap from a .44, he was doing amazing. Grabbing cover as he reached the now fully open hole in the wall, he laid down suppressing fire with the grenade launcher until Ban made it through, completely expanding his thermobarics. ”Wilk and Frigga still inside.” He reminded Chuck as he passed him by, tapping him on the back on reflex as if he could feel it in his armor.

Chuck frowned at the reminder. He didn’t believe in leaving team members behind. “Wilk do you need us to hold this position so you and Frigga can exfil? Or do you need assistance with finding an alternate route?” Chuck looked around to check on Shimura as he waited on an answer. He noted that Ebrima had secured the exit point. Chuck lobbed a few of the electrical taser grenades into the still oncoming waves of Artemis troops. The electrical surge took out groups of 5 to 8 men at a time. Chuck looked at the oncoming waves and realized this position would soon be overrun. “Wilk please advise? This position will soon be compromised. Artemis troops are still pouring into the area. This area will soon be overrun.” Raven Squad were the best of the best however even the best could be overwhelmed by numbers. Artemis had the numbers to do it.

The hovercraft drifted, rolling behind Jamie, though it would have likely bounced off him with the presence he was bringing, no doubt absolutely relishing his opportunity to turn the environment before him into even more rubble than the mine already made.
"Need a lift?" Javi asked, door open as Raphael operated the crew-mounted 20mm, blasting rounds down range, covering the retreat of Jamie, even though it looked like there was no retreat of his to really cover. There was a lost of destruction, damage and hellfire, but well, they'd trooped through it. Tahlia looked from afar at the explosions, roaring of jets, and blasting of autocannon and various other weapons packages onto Artemis like it was a death knell.
"You look like you turned this grey mess into even more shit!"

Not bad for a morning out.

---

Soundtrack: Sea Power- Suffragette Riots

Skye's red hair poured from her helmet in a cold look into the abyss for a second, looking to Purna, and glancing at the copy of her below. She really was everything like Skye, minus a few cuts and bruises, like a version that had been polished, brushed up, but well, there was little variation. Genetics set you on a path, even if there were variations in that. And yet there was Rose.

Her heart lept a little, over all of it. But she'd been shattered, broken once, and broken again and again. The idea of "self" echoed, even if what the team had said were right. Who was Skye Lyons, really? Just a name pulled from a hat, given to another sample? Was that all she was? And Rose? It was harrowing, scary even to see that this was what she was capable of. This was what Skye could do with enough commitment of her own. All of this. All that blood. For what, some hijacking of an anarcho-capitalist group? And now with all this in the open, now what? Go live a normal life, even what she knew as normal in just working to eliminate threats like Artemis? It felt like she was physically decoupled from her own skin, as she looked at her own hands, and then Rose.

"Skye. You still there?" Purna asked, Skye lost in her own thoughts, the Scotswoman replying.

"Yeah. Still coming to terms with this. It hurts."

"Nothing's going to change that, Skye. We did our job. We need to go home."

"Where's home? We are done." She sighed, almost a little defeated. Like in that moment, the crack was allowed to wedge, even if she didn't show it entirely.

"Wherever you find it." Purna replied, putting an arm around her.

"Yeah. It's somewhere. Pretty fucking hard when you're looking at her though. Image is never gonna leave me. Takes doing after what we do." Skye sighed a tone only a Scotswoman could, exhaling hard. Taking it in for a moment.

Then Sam's message came through. But almost a second late, as she processed a response, Skye was broken out of her shock hearing the call in the radio, and the HUD flash up with Sam's vitals. And her being flat.

"Sam, you good?" Skye called into the comms, slowly standing up with hand to ear, realising, and with heavy footsteps, running. It was dawning. And it was becoming more and more real. And she found something inside of her instantly perk every hair on her neck. She'd dealt with casualties. But this, this was something else.

"Sam! Fuck, Athena, find a defib, Purna, Oliver, secure up the area, if she's here, find Rose, tear her into fucking two!!" Skye's voice echoed, with pure, unbridled rage.

Running up to Sam at the exit of the server lab, she ran herself up to the American, spasming a little with her movement on the floor, and Skye almost the same in her own shock. She'd done this before. She'd had to apply CPR, then a defibrillator, but this felt different. Like Skye had got her revenge, and now watched Rose get hers, in the most fucked way possible. How much she wished it wasn't her own. Sam had more than Skye did, so much more, and even if any member of Raven would be willing to fall, not like this, not now.

And not when it seemed like Rose just had been back to her last.

It was hard to understate that while Skye was someone who had long since led teams, she was merciless, a lion roaring, yet here and now, it was all that mattered. Doing all she could was all she had to force herself into.

"Fuck, stay with me, come on Sam!" She roared, with a yell that sounded like a big cat screaming in the hallway, pulling her over, pulling her helmet and visor open, checking the vicinity of course before doing so, before putting bunded hands into her chest and pushing. She kept going, frequent, and she had to fight, fight to keep her mental side from slipping completely in this moment, the parts of her that wanted to give into all of the emotion, all of the feeling, all the rage, just directed instead towards just keeping her head, keeping focus and wanting to keep Sam alive. Every push, as she put her mouth to Sam's, exhaling hard, leaning her head back to get the air in, before going again. One, two, three, four, five.....

Athena pushed on Skye's shoulder, bringing in a box, what looked like a portable defibrillator she had found. No words were exchanged, as Skye was focussed, not the first time she'd done this, but for a moment, deeply in this moment. Every second mattered, everything counted, and she was going to have to hope this worked. An electrical shock had fried her feet and legs and run into her and out of her hand, without her tactical gear, she'd be burnt to a crisp, so it had done well to insulate her as well as it had. More amps than anyone would have been able to handle, and the first thing Skye had noticed was now not shocking anyone else, given Sam had fallen away from the trap after getting burnt by it.

Bringing the defibrillator into place onto Sam's thorax, after pulling armour out of the way, Skye looked over to Athena, putting the sticky electrodes across Sam's chest with a gentle push, and hit the button. The defib charged, and with another push of the button, the unit sent a charge.
"Clear!"

Oliver and Purna would have gone through the blimp, but found no trace of Rose. Not apart from one missing wingpack.

---

Soundtrack: Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe- Extraction Point

Things were going utterly apeshit on the rig. Adam had survived barely getting scorched, and somehow, Freya had kept going after Laura. And whatever their relationship was. Somehow, without saying a word, he felt like she may have had more history than just Raven, from the way they almost seemed to be flirting with one another, but Adam kept the hell out of the way. Instead, he went for a flanking squad of enemies, keeping in cover whilst his field generator recharged, sending rounds down range and clipping them, before flanking them with a clever push, spraying them with rounds.

Staying to the flanks, Adam sent rounds into one of the AAA platforms. He made his call into Vincent, before hearing the flamer belch, and Freya respond in turn with her own. She was not getting involved in that fight. Even Adam's survival instincts were smart enough to realise he was not bringing anything to that confrontation, but rather, he could keep pushing the control room while she kept Laura busy.

Leaping down, Adam flanked through, hosing down another two more mercs, moving in, finding the rig's main controls, and a vast array of AR enabled, and digital touchscreens at the rain soaked control room. Perfect. With it, he got to work, and started fiddling away. He called that into the team as well, and started to sheer off the connections to the geothermal network, closing valves, and sealing certain routes, that would be flooding with Artemis mercs at this point. And well, some more chaos with the wind turbines and the pump infrastructure for the vapour.

"Well, that'll stop them coming! Rig's cut off now, pumps are set to detonate. It'll make it unstable, so we haven't much time to bail!" Adam should have really known better. A high pressure, geothermally linked system to a massive set of pumps, now without safeties? Well, it was going to destroy the place. And suddenly, the building shook, the sight of a massive explosion in the horizon as the first of the substations blew on the far-away satellite pumping station.

"Team, we need to leave! We now have a window, but we can't stay long or we'll get swallowed in it! They'll not pump anything from here anymore!" Adam called back, knowing the team below had dealt a blow to the tanks, but here and now, they needed to extract. He was hasty, but if he hadn't of done that, there was a chance the team below were going to get overwhelmed. And just in time too, as fire from the sky from Vincent's VTOL, 40mm and 90mm rounds slamming into the structure below, punching holes, as with it, Adam left it behind. He headed back towards the flames, checking his box magazine, before heading down, hearing Freya pin Laura down, before taking a high caliber round. Adam flanked and wiped the team out, Freya retreating into smoke, as did Laura, clambering barely, waddling out with pain, but right now, fuck that. This place was falling apart.

"Merde, the thing is falling into the sea, and I have hostiles all over. Get to the water, I'll put the ramp down but you need to find a way to get to me, fast. I cannot stay long!" Was the response Adam did not want to hear. And moving towards Freya, Adam regrouped, knowing there was no point chasing Laura. She was as good as drowned considering, and well, she'd be a problem for later to deal with if she survived. The comms were clear from Adam to her, knowing she was in shock, no doubt, but time was of the essence.

"Your new boyfriend is waiting for you, we need to get the hell out!" Adam yelled, knowing Freya was hurting, no doubt her segment of armour was going to be pretty blasted, but well, unless they made a move for it now, they were not getting off this rig. A massive explosion licked above as one of the green hydrogen tanks detonated, sending a massive pipework through the entire rig, slamming through the floor, and making their drop down a little quicker. Adam kept leading the way, clipping a team ahead, replying to Chuck.

"Boomer, get moving with the others, this place is going to shit, so carve a path back down to the SDV!" Adam barked back, a staircase collapsing entirely to their side as Adam kept moving, knowing Freya was struggling behind, the Pole looking back to her, pointing out another way.
"You won't like this. But the SDV is nearly direct below. You might need your magnetics to get you attracted to it. I'll try and pilot it." Adam called, realising they weren't going to make it to the rest of the team. The sea was a cauldron below, but well, they had no other choice. Chuck, Ebrima and Ban would have a shorter drop, maybe even they could just go down the ladder and back where they'd parked up, if they were really, really lucky, grab their rebreathers and floatation kit, but that was looking less viable by every missed second.

"Boomer, Shimura, Boaro...don't wait on us, we have another way out, meet you at the bottom and get on that fucking boat!" Adam called, looking to Freya, tapping her on the shoulder, and realising that the fiery stairs below were maybe not the best way. But, the exposed wall, and the four storey drop into water might be their only shot at it. And well, with hardly any more motivation, considering the entire thing was coming down, he made his move out and off the platform.

Leaping into the sea, Adam pushed for air, seeing the SDV, swimming hard, in spite of the weight wanting to pull him down, and grabbed a hold of a rail.

Clambering into the steering, he picked up HUD elements for the other team members that were falling off the rig too, a fairly decent descent down, and well, he had to recover people. Hooking into the SDV's oxygen supply, he found the first person, then the next and the next, picking them out of the water one by one and getting them air from the SDV's central tank, the weighed-down SDV having to go deeper and deeper, before he could pull it back to buoyancy and back towards surface. Vincent was adjusting the VTOL as part of the rig just exploded and cascaded with a huge lean and fell into the sea spitting out shrapnel and bodies, the main rig itself still standing, but in bits now relative to what it had been before.

And pulling the SDV towards the ramp, it was a messy affair, but they'd gotten out. Artemis soldiers were trying to evacuate too, but none of them had the luxury of an underwater craft and a VTOL for evacuation. And with it, Adam could at least trawl the SDV to the rear, and drive it inside, the part sub now beached, and allowing the team to get out, and most of all, the SDV to dust off.

Soundtrack: See You Again - Carrie Underwood

Samantha had finished destroying all the data on Rose and her clones and the Sol Hestia. She had killed all of Rose’s remaining clones in the room before she could hop to any of them. Samantha had finished her work in Rose’s hidden room on the blimp and was moving to rejoin the team when she triggered Rose’s final countermeasure. Rose’s original body was awakened by the deaths of her clones. The clones' deaths armed a pressure plate trap that Samantha had missed. The pressure plate took up most of the middle of the floor on the way to the exit.

Samantha had been hit by 220 volts of electricity that arced up from the metal floor plate up through Samantha’s body. The voltage had been strong enough to jump past Samantha’s combat boots which had nonconductive slip resistant soles. The electricity had arced and jumped to the hidden circuitry in Samantha’s armor. Her armor was designed to collect and direct kinetic energy back into her suit’s systems. The strong voltage had surged into it and blew the circuitry all to hell overloading the built in circuit breakers. The electrical surge had hit her body and climbed it. Samantha’s body had jerked and danced frozen in a lance of electrical fire before the electrical blast cut out, its charge spent. Samantha’s body had cried out in agony before passing out as her body had hit the floor falling away from the pressure plate.

Samantha’s armor smoked where the circuits had been overloaded causing the surrounding material to heat up. Fortunately for Samantha, the ballistic gel lining her suit was nonflammable and dissipated some of the electrical surge but her suit wasn’t designed to compensate for sustained high voltage strikes. Samantha’s body was still twitching as her nerves and muscles responded to the remaining electrical impulses. Her heart beat would flatline and then stutter and give a blip before flatlining again.

Samantha was unconscious and unaware of Skye fighting to save her life. Samantha was flat on her back. The front of her armor had been torn open down her chest. She was unresponsive as Skye started CPR and rescue breathing.

Time was passing slowly for Samantha. Samantha was confused and she was in pain. She opened her eyes and everything was fuzzy and blurry. The light was so bright she could barely see. She closed her eyes again. When she opened them again, she could see the blurry outline of two people approaching. Samantha felt pressure in her chest and gave a deep gasping breath.

Samantha’s consciousness faded again. She heard Skye yelling at her.

"Fuck, stay with me, come on Sam!"

Samantha looked around for Skye. She suddenly felt so weak. She couldn’t talk and barely managed a whisper. “Skye?” She couldn’t find Skye. Everything was blurry again. Her chest felt like it was on fire. Pain was coursing through her body. She faded out again.

Samantha’s eyes opened again and the two blurry figures she saw stepped towards her. She blinked as she recognized them. She didn’t understand why she was laying on the ground. She didn’t seem to be able to stand. “Dad? Sofu?” Samantha had tears running down her face. “I have missed you both so much. How are you here? You both died…” She was sobbing, unable to catch her breath. That horrible pressure was building in her chest once more. Her body shuddered as another harsh gasp forced breath into her body.

Skye had forced another rescue breath into Samantha before continuing CPR.

Samantha winced as pain washed over her taking her father and grandfather’s images away from her. She was crying out “Don’t go!” The words never leaving her lips. Darkness took her away. Slowly a light in the distance grew once more. As the light lit up the area around her, she could see her father and grandfather again. She reached out trying to hold their hands. They leaned down and each took one of her hands.

Samantha couldn’t speak as tears choked her. She could her father’s voice clear as a bell.Then suddenly he was back standing in the light again with her grandfather at his side.

Jake Dalton: “Samantha, I will always love you. You know I will always be a part of you. You have to go back. It is not time to join me yet.”

A new voice reached her. One she barely remembered.

Maria Lopez: “Samantha, I am so sorry we didn’t have much time together. I know growing up without me was so hard for you. I am so proud of the woman you have become. It is not time for you to join me and your father.” Her mother stepped into the light, her arm through her father’s.

Ryuji Takahashi: “Magomusume, please tell Kameko that I am waiting for her. Please share my regret that we didn’t have more time together. She will join me soon enough. But Samantha, it is not time for you to join us yet. You must go back, granddaughter. You have not yet fulfilled your purpose.”

Samantha wanted to protest. She had suffered so much. It is warm and comforting here in their presence. In the presence of those she had lost who loved her. She didn’t want to go back. Only pain and misery waited for her there.

Ryuji Takahashi: “Samantha you know the truth. You know better than to think those thoughts. Even now your new friends are trying to save you. Skye will need you more than ever. My beloved granddaughter. I would spare you this pain if I could. You must go back.”

Samantha fought it but their images grew fuzzy again. That horrible pressure was building again in her chest. A heavy weight held her down. She couldn’t breathe. Darkness took her again.

Samantha’s heartbeat flatlined in the HUD once more. Skye had managed to get the electrodes onto Samantha’s chest. Skye: "Clear!" Samantha’s body bowed up off the ground as Skye hit the button, shocking her heart. Samantha took a deep breath in and let out a blood curdling scream before pain caused her to pass out again. This time though, her heartbeat remained steady.

Soundtrack: Light Up the Night - The Protomen

---

Chuck stood just inside the hole he had made into the wall. He held the exit he had made until Shimura had managed to join them and until he had heard back from Adam on whether he needed to hold it. Chuck continued to hold the breach like a moving wall. He decided they were leaving anyway. He emptied all the non lethals he had left into the oncoming waves of soldiers. He would save the heavier ammo for the next part. Sparks of electricity from the taser rounds lighting up the air in the smoke now filling the air. Screams from soldiers caught in his attacks filled the air. Then suddenly there was Shimura emerging from the smoke.

"Well, that'll stop them coming! Rig's cut off now, pumps are set to detonate. It'll make it unstable, so we haven't much time to bail!"

Chuck gave a sigh of relief to see Shimura emerge. He was a new team member but still a team member. Chuck gave him a nod as he watched for incoming enemy fire from behind him.

Chuck told Shimura as he arrived “Nice work. Now for the easy part, leaving.”

The whole rig shook in a warning of its impending demise. Chuck balanced and rode out the wave of shaking trying to throw him off balance.

"Team, we need to leave! We now have a window, but we can't stay long or we'll get swallowed in it! They'll not pump anything from here anymore!"

Vincent: "Merde, the thing is falling into the sea, and I have hostiles all over. Get to the water, I'll put the ramp down but you need to find a way to get to me, fast. I cannot stay long!"

Chuck had just thrown out his last grenade when he heard Adam finally give him the response he had been waiting on. He wouldn’t leave Freya behind if she needed help escaping.

"Boomer, get moving with the others, this place is going to shit, so carve a path back down to the SDV!"

Chuck replied immediately as he moved through the hole to rejoin his part of the team.

“Boomer acknowledges, Creating that path...”

Chuck grabbed his carbine in his left hand and used his right to guide the heavy caliber FunGun. Chuck began to jog back towards the front of the rig where they had come up from the SDV. Chuck laid waste to anyone who came close. His heavy caliber gun took out a drone that had been firing down on them. Explosions rocked the rig as metal began to groan. You could hear metal shearing and twisting. Chuck roared as he put the heavy machine gun to use as he sprayed soldiers on jet skis and in smaller patrol boats. The heavy machine gun put holes in their rides and punched through their soldiers as he made a path for the team to exit. Chuck could feel his armor being ravaged as he drew enemy fire. He did his best to keep moving.

"Boomer, Shimura, Boaro...don't wait on us, we have another way out, meet you at the bottom and get on that fucking boat!"

Chuck frowned and he didn’t like it but he acknowledged the order.

Chuck: “Boomer acknowledges Frigga and Wilk taking an alternative exit.”

A massive explosion rocked the rig, the shockwave throwing Chuck to the ground as the platform began to sink on one side. Chuck was grateful he had packed a spare rebreather since his armor’s integrity was shot to shit by this point. He looked back and saw secondary explosions rocking the platform even more. He was out of time. He hit the latches that would drop his outer armor chest and back plate. He had to ditch his helmet too. The visor opened but the rebreather wouldn’t fit into the opening. That would reduce his weight some. He had lost the flotation devices help for his armor. He stumbled as another explosion rocked the platform. He took a deep breath and jumped. Chuck fell like an ungainly stone. His velocity was broken up on impact with the water with the help of his remaining armor. He hit the ocean kicking up a 20 foot splash. Debris from the rig was falling into the sea around him. He barely managed to dodge a piece of metal railing. He was still sinking like a stone.

He swam hard to get some buoyancy and distance. He managed to get the rebreather attached to his mouth. He took a deep breath as he searched for the SDV. Chuck was an experienced diver and swimmer. He swam away from the danger area around the rig. Swimming was hard, the weight of his remaining armor dragged at his legs. Chuck was able to do it only because of his strength but he was tiring quickly. Chuck had begun to kick for the surface when out of the dark turbulent gloom under the waves came lights from the SDV. He was grateful for the pickup. His legs felt like lead. He grabbed onto the handle on the outside and tapped twice to let the pilot know he was on. He couldn’t talk with the spare rebreather on to give them comms acknowledgement.

The SDV picked up others as Chuck hung onto the outside of it. He tried to kick his legs to aid the SDV’s progress since he didn’t have flotation devices to help with buoyancy. The SDV finally surfaced next to the VTOL. Chuck swam to the ramp. Chuck took out the rebreather and took a deep breath of fresh air. He then got up and helped pull the SDV up the ramp. Chuck waited there to see if anyone needed help getting out of the SDV. He did his best to curb his anxiety.

---

As if it wasn’t chaotic enough, now Adam canceled Artemis’ free trial of the doomsday platform in the second most spectacular fashion imaginable save for a nuke. Ebrima was staggering in Chuck’s wake, trying to pick off any Artemis that were still bothering them instead of trying to save themselves - the lengths some people would go to for an extra hundred on their paycheck - as he noticed his vision becoming slightly blurry on the right side. Yup, that was a concussion alright. Each explosion made movement even more difficult and every fall exacerbated his headache and soon he found himself in disbelief at thinking this was worse than the damn double triathlon Hell they put him through when he signed on. Somehow.

Reaching the edge of the platform felt like Sisyphus finally getting that damn boulder onto that stupid hill. Stowing his gear so it wasn’t loose during the fall and subsequent swim, he grabbed a nearby Artemis corpse and dragged it toward the edge of the platform, glumly noting that his PFD had fallen prey to Luisa's machete as he threw the body overboard before jumping after it. The dead man broke the water's surface just before Ebrima’s feet hit the sea, cushioning his landing quite a bit. Still, the Cameroonian sank like a rock, the exosuit not designed to swim without the ruptured air bladders. For a second he thought Luisa might get to kill him after all, even if she didn't live to brag about it.

Thud!

The smooth hull of the SDV under him felt like the softest foam mattress. He quickly found a handle and maneuvered inside, securing an air supply before tapping Adam on the shoulder to let him know he was in. Once they were aboard the VTOL, he took his radio out of its pouch, smashed it against a wall and threw it and the ‘borrowed’ Artemis helmet and headset out the back before powering down his armor and starting to untangle himself from the dead exoskeleton, removing the power cells once he was out. If Rose had trackers in her blood, he wasn't taking any chances with any Artemis gear or Raven equipment that had been connected to any Artemis tech. ”Now do we get to have a week off?”

@LadyAmber

Samantha was alive but unconscious and in a lot of pain. Her heartbeat was steady.

Skye saw her choke awake, her eyes shut, as she looked her over, checking her pulse, feeling it beat, but Sam still out. She was likely suffering with shock, as Skye looked her up and down, checking her vitals, dragging her over into a recovery position, her hand below her head, resting up, her pulse steady, and gentle. What she had of her medical kit was now back away, as she breathed a hard sigh of relief, fully aware of how much worse that could have been.

“That’s better….fuck, you had me proper scared there.” The Scot exhaled, brushing her hair, gently pulling a few strands back looking into Sam's eye. She adjusted her comm line, seeing that their resident medic, thankfully, was online. Whilst she was experienced in field first aid, this was going to be a nastier one.

“Soph, you on this line? Chaos is unconscious but heart is good, big electrical shock to her system.” Skye called into the comms, the Swiss Doctor replying in turn. She had access to Sam’s diagnostics, via a parsed link that Skye allowed her to see.

“Loud and clear. Is she stable?” Sophie’s voice was a beacon of calm, given she wasn’t the one getting shot at, and had done this, many, many, many times. Didn’t make it easier.

“Affirmative. Unconscious, but breathing, heartbeat is back, rate is panicking but okay.” Skye replied, as Sophie knew immediately, almost as if by her own instinct, immediately what she was seeing.

“Okay, antiarrhythmic drugs will be needed after an electrical shock like that. It’ll stabilize her heart. She’ll take a minute or two to wake up, if all is well. Stay with her, and keep an eye on her vitals. She’ll be feeling it.” Skye heard, the Scot already looking for them in her extensive first aid kit, pulling the small vial out and gently hooking it into a pocket IV line, pricking Sam’s exposed hand, pulling out some of the damaged armour out of the way where it had arced off her and back to ground, and sticking it in.

“Got it. All set up.” Skye replied, as Sophie’s voice reassured.
“Okay, all good. Now just wait with her. You’re still alive, which tells me things went well? What happened to her?” Skye heard, as the Scot nodded to nobody in particular.
“Yeah, mostly. Ship is clear. And she hit a trap.”
“Is Lynx...dead for good?”

“Sort of. Looks like we killed her network. But one of her bodies got away. She’s in the wild now.”

Skye replied, Sophie’s voice certainly not hiding the worry.

“Understood. Shit, Skye. I really hope this time we can put it to an end. Glad you all saved the world, though.”

Sophie’s dry Swiss accent made Skye giggle, even in a time like this.
“Such optimism. Keep on the line, Soph.”

Skye replied, looking over to Sam, hoping she could hear.

“Come on, Sam. Come back to us. Come on…..you’ve done far sillier things.”

She cracked a smile, even though deep inside, a lot of her was broken right now, and fuelled by the last trickles of adrenaline she seemed to have left deep inside her.

Athena somehow, was keeping actually quiet, as Purna and Oliver came back, with nothing to report of value, checking corners, and any more hidden aspects. It was clean. For that part. Athena took that lead from Skye with the Scottish team lead giving the nod, as Athena called it in.

“Oracle, Queen’s recovering the casualty, ship is clear, we lost Lynx, but her system is dead. We haven’t got any further updates….we think she stole a wingpack and escaped. But the rest of her online presence is out. No more servers left online, or bodies to get to.”

“Shit. Understood. We need to find her, immediately, and put an end to this. Get the airship grounded, and return to base, check your casualty and then get out.”

“Affirmative. Valkyrie out.” Athena looked to Skye, and watched on at the scene below her seven and a half foot frame.

Samantha struggled to wake up. Her eyes twitched. As she became more aware, her whole body was twitching minutely. She was in a lot of pain. Her nerves still felt like they were on fire. There were parts of her body that felt like they had been burned. It was really hard to push through that pain. She became aware that she was on her side. Someone was holding her head. She tried moving her head experimentally. She took a deep breath as the pain had her taking shallow breaths. Her chest felt tight. Samantha’s voice came out very weak and soft as her eyes fluttered open.

Samantha: “Oww… it hurts.”

Skye didn’t hug, but her eyes wanted to, and just stayed close, albeit not too in Sam’s face. Coming back from that was going to be surreal, after all.

“Okay, steady, steady now, Sam. I can’t give you any big painkillers yet, your heart is just recovering. Nice, easy breaths. We can do this, Sam.”

Skye gently spoke, her Scots accent like buttered gold, gentle and nothing too much to bear now. Not in this moment.

Samantha’s body was on autopilot as she recognized Skye’s voice. Her body began taking deeper breaths subconsciously following Skye’s. Samantha was more aware and feeling stronger. She tried to sit up and almost made it before her arm trembled. Her mind finally started working again.

Samantha: “What about Rose?”

It was an effort but she managed to sit up. It was easier to breathe. She felt dizzy and wobbled for a moment. She put her hands down beside her to support her body.

Samantha: “Did we find her?”

Skye shrugged, looking over, getting behind and helping her up, keeping an eye on her lungs, and her breathing.

“Careful now Sam. We lost her. Took a wingpack it looks like and left. We took her main system down. You did.” Skye smiled, coming around.

“We’ll get her. All of us. She’s a cornered rat without her bodies. Guess it means she’ll get to feel what it’s like to be mortal now. But, you live twice too, Sam. Not bad.”

Skye quipped, letting her take breaths in, Athena heading towards the pilot’s cabin to secure that, and start to bring it down. Piloting an airship may have not been something that came easily, but between the two of them, they’d be resourceful enough- the latter could fly aircraft, so no doubt from there something would come.

Skye turned back to Sam, knowing she was slowly, but surely coming back.

“Other team’s going to be finishing up around now. We did a really good thing. She tried to bite back at us, but you’re still here. Thank God….”

Skye smiled, a crack revealing itself in her demeanor. She was often heartless, relentless, unstoppable. Yet here she was shown nearly losing someone she’d mentored, shown a lot of rope to. Seen change from someone broken, to someone carrying. And Sam had carried plenty. One mistake was all it took, Skye knew that much, but to have her back was a relief. Even if they’d succeeded, it would have still had a bitter taste to lose someone over that.

Samantha listened while focusing hard on getting her body to cooperate with her. She wanted to curse Rose’s resourcefulness but she didn’t have any energy left to spare for that. With Skye’s help she had managed to stand up. She swayed a little unsteady on her feet. Her muscles were still twitching like her nerves were misfiring. She automatically reached out a hand to steady herself. She closed her eyes for a moment and she heard a haunting echo. Did she really hear it or was it because she wanted to believe it so badly?

Jake Dalton: “We will always be near you Sam. Go save the world.”

Samantha winced in emotional pain. But she shook her head and put as much steel into her spine as she could. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes. She turned to Skye.

Samantha: “Where do you need me? I am not up for much though.”

Skye helped her up, knowing she was struggling. Yet still wanting more. Still wanting to do something. And she wasn’t in any fit shape.

“I’d say take a rest, Sam. We’re going to go to land. Then home.”

The Scot replied, as she came back to Sam’s side, Athena clambering out, Skye realizing…ah, that might be easier.

[color=Goldenrod]“Yeah, I thought I might be able to help. Where’d you need her?”

Athena smiled, adjusting the headset on her head before coming over, and like that, the giantess scooped up Sam into her hands, passed from Skye, the Scot pointing it out.

“Couch.”

And that was where Sam went, with Athena gently laying her against it, with the view of the sky outside the lounge that made up Rose’s penthouse in the sky, the pink sunrise turning to gold, a bright one that burned through into the interior.

Soundtrack: Parra for Cuva- Manila Palm

“Had me worried a lot there too, Sam. Good to have you back!”

Athena hugging tight, albeit careful considering that well, she could have easily squished her. And probably that was not the best considering her ribs were probably weak from Skye pushing against them momentarily. Skye followed in, sitting by Sam, laying her M31 on the couch, looking out at that sunrise, and holding Sam, shoulder to shoulder.

Samantha was surprised when Athena showed up and picked her up. She felt somewhat like a ragdoll. She was put on the couch and Athena sat down next to her with her arm around her shoulders.

“I didn’t check this sofa for explosives. But I guess we’re about even. You saved me. And I saved you. Not bad for this game.”

Skye giggled, knowing Sam wouldn’t fully appreciate it now, but with it, Skye rested her hand in Sam’s burnt one, the first aid kit not too far from where she’d zipped it up and brought it onto the thing. Pulling the IV out, Skye ran fluid through and then replaced it with some light painkillers, a very, very dilute morphine drip, gently pulling it in.

Samantha squeezed Skye’s hand weakly but enough to let her know she appreciated the gesture. Samantha’s consciousness was fuzzy. She was trying hard to focus on the here and now but it felt like that focus kept slipping away.

“That might help with the pain. For now though, chill.” Her tone was motherly, almost as if for a moment, Skye felt like she was looking after kin. More than Rose ever was, anyway.

“Signs are looking good. Nice work, all of you.” Sophie’s voice was reassuring, as Skye smiled.

“Yeah. Not bad at all either. We have it from here. We’ll see you back home.”

“See you.”

Skye sighed, exhaling. Thinking. Reflecting on it all. And no doubt appreciative of the person she had an arm around.

Samantha looked out at the sunrise and thought well at least the world saw another sunrise. She turned to Athena.

[center][h1]Samantha: “Well we already had that situation happen at Kaitaki. I hope there aren't any explosives in this one. Boomer is not available this time.”

Skye added an IV drip to the port in her hand. She let her body relax. The painkillers at least took the edge of that burning pain she was feeling.

“That is what teammates do Athena. We take care of each other.”

She nodded to Skye and let the others do the work around her as she watched the sunrise and thought about that voice she heard.

---

The airship began to drop down to a lower level, and Skye had taken her oxygen mask off completely now, the dawn growing more and more in light, the redhead's hair almost pixie-like, brushing out a little but with strands poking all over the place from having it shaven barely a few days before. She had left the M31 by side and with the help of Athena, dragged the rest of the wingpacks up into the main cargo area, past the useless servers, and at least pulled the bodies into one place to be recovered for later. Going through them, the mercs were incredibly diverse- Artemis's inner circle, and clearly here to guard what was a last resort for Rose in terms of defences. If an infiltrator came here alone, they'd have been cut apart, and that was fully the intent. Perhaps they'd underestimated just how good Purna was with the outside, and well, Skye, Athena, Sam and Oliver as a fireteam. Bringing minimal gear, and cutting through maximum carnage.

It was a strange thought to consider, as Skye put ear to hand, hearing the static kick in.
"Rig is down, repeat, rig is down." The voice was a crackly one from Oracle, as Skye looked out into the sky, a smile forming.
"Thank fuck for that. Looks like we did what we had to. Just have some girl that looks like me on the loose, Oracle." Skye replied, Oracle.
"We'll hunt her down. Newfoundland is a small island, she can't go far."
"You always underestimate the pair of us. You're going to be very busy. She's a hurt animal. She'll make a mistake. But let's not make one ourselves."

---

The frail redhead hobbled down the coastline, the parachute and wingpack left behind on the beach, the cold wrapping against her, the loose fitting clothing soaked from the cloud, and from the spray that was now across the dawn rise of the Newfoundland coast.

Pulling herself through, she came across the car park at the small lookout point, the crashing of waves audible. With a spluttering cough, she pulled out the nearby binbag and wrapped it around her hand, and with it, smashed the F150's cab, the alarm blasting, but cut away quick enough as she clambered in, and ripped out the console under the dash, quickly bringing two wires into place, and overriding the old truck's security mechanism. And with another two wires, the engine purred into life, the diesel engine coming alive.

She sighed. A deep, hard exhale. It felt strange, like there wasn't anything more running through her head, like there wasn't this constant rush, or any link at all. Like it felt like a part of her was severed, a part she had never felt before. With the gear in reverse, she pulled back out, and cranked the heater up. And flicked on the radio, the static cutting in.

Soundtrack: The Man Who Sold The World - Nirvana

Rose smirked, shaking her head, looking up into the sky, and then back across. Eyes on road. And she had no exact idea of where she was, but she had some.

She'd been so close, so unbelievably near to it.

---

The phone rang, and the Danish banker sighed as he picked it up. The phone only one person would ever call on. Or know how to get to. Sitting in a bunker, he was just as dejected as Rose was, but angry to hear her voice at all. Spectre, or Christian, had many a reason to be pissed.

"Hey." Rose's voice seemed a little more timid than usual.

"You have some gall to call me now. Your whole plan. All of what we worked for. We are done. Are you calling to say you've come to your senses? Maybe you rushed a little?"

"No."

"And you have nothing to offer, Rose Lyons. You must be delusional. You and your plans, kidnapping me, putting me at risk for some folly, then pulled me out to undo all we worked for, for decades. Decades! This wasn't meant to be like this....you went too fast. Not some slow change, you did this, like some rush. And now what?"

"Actually, I beg to differ." Rose replied, adjusting the handset.

"There's a contingency. I guess you wondered if I was willing to die for what I believe in." Rose looked into the horizon.

"I suppose I'll have to now. Can't talk over the phone. I guess in other ways, we're bound now. I suppose I underestimated them. No matter. I always have a backup." Rose's thoughts seemed to drift to that thought in particular.

"And what's that?" Spectre's voice was inquisitive, genuinely so.

"It's a messier option. You still got your friend in the People's Liberation Army?"

"Just about."

"Time to call in a last favour. Not that I ever wanted to go back to it."

"I think we're done here." Javi replied, looking at the bloodied lip of Scion, aware he was holding on the rail, and thus making it a clear run to get out of here. With it, he flipped the craft around, and hit the accelerator, heading straight back the way they came, and out of there. This fight was done and dusted, and there was home to return to. They'd pick up Tahlia, before hitting the ocean once again, headed towards Narsarsuaq Fjord, and the airport that sat within where the A400 could safely head towards.

---

With all members of the team dragged aboard, the water lapped at the ramp, the flaming rig lighting up the dawn chorus, as Adam exhaled hard, pulling in Ebrima and Ban, pulling them aboard as the SDV was left behind and once Freya and Chuck had joined in, dragged aboard from the SDV's presence aboard the rear. The submarine that was no longer in the sea made the floor a wet mess, but it mostly poured out of the rear ramp, Adam peeling his helmet away, cuts and bruised, coughing out water, looking to the front.

"We're good, Vincent, get us the fuck out of here!" His bark was all he had left, as he panted, exhaling hard, looking back at the flaming mess, and the group that had survived it. He couldn't get the words quite out of himself, just considering how insane that had gone. He didn't want to know how Freya felt, probably in need of a hug too, but she could tell she needed a moment. Nothing needed to be said, and the team silently knew what had gone on, what had went down, and that they needed to get home. With it, the VTOL peeled away from water and hit throttle.

---

The team from the former oil rig turned geoengienering platform had turned in first, whilst that was then followed by the crew from Greenland. Athena had disappeared, as had Purna and Oliver to stow the airship, well, somewhere, before they'd get a private flight over to Camp Hannula later in the day- probably dropping it at the Kantaario family ranch in Upstate New York. Skye and Sam, on the other hand, had taken an express from Halifax back over to Finland after getting dropped off, whilst Fireteam Viking, then Fireteam Poseidon, had taken their transports back, the A400 and the V38 respectively making a return after some fuelling.

And returning on to Camp Hannula, the now significantly more casual looking Skye Lyons walked with a certain uncertainty about it all. The armoury was abuzz, as she dragged herself in with her almost comically sized black duffel, containing all of her gear, throwing it down by her station, unloading the various bits, from rifle, to fatigues. By her exo, where her rifle now was positioned, as well as her other gear, the wingpack taken on a separate collection.

The mood should have been cheery, and most people were, crews upbeat about the fact that their families were safe, and Armageddon had been prevented. Who knew how much untold violence Sol Hestia could have caused- it would have certainly got a few billion in one fell swoop, and that would be more than enough anarchy for Rose's liking. A revenge prevented, and while she had escaped, and that was knowledge only locked down to the immediate team and any support staff that needed to know, the remainder was at least positive. Artemis had been disarmed significantly, and the options for Rose were looking like dilemmas, not so clear cut anymore.

She looked around, the team quiet, almost as if nothing more had to be said. It was over. The spring had rolled into the green of northern Finland, the end of the world prevented and instead filled with greenery and more importantly, people that now owed a hell of a lot to the team. It was a quiet respect, a certain kind of untold thanks, because the situation was still volatile. Tahlia looked to Skye, almost as if to still be in shock of her own. But even they were quiet. There was an unsaid positivity about what they'd done, an achievement, yet a certain feeling that they were all processing it, absorbing it beyond simple interactions, a Hello and such.

They all felt vacant, and were still unpacking a hell of a lot of emotions. And there was this feeling that despite it all, this wasn't over yet.

The sight of the older Punjabi officer, dressed in full MTP uniform, Oracle himself, Imran, the CO to Skye and Adam, changed that a little.

"Major Lyons? Need you with me for a moment. Alone."

With it, Skye's face seemed dejected, almost completely uncertain. A rare thing indeed. She looked over at Sam, and then at Freya, Ebrima, and lastly, Adam. No matter what any of them wanted to do, this was not a moment that could be interrupted. Skye was going willingly, and even though Adam was wondering why he wasn't getting a call, he knew it was because of well, the situation that was now established.

Imran headed up, the stairs, the Scot following, breaking the ice, probably audible from behind.

"So that's it? I expected no parade, but a quiet chat, no, "Oh, you saved the world?" I mean, even in our line of work, come on." Skye seemed a little childish, but she had to poke back at Imran, knowing full well what had just gone down.

"Our best assets are searching for her. You know this isn't over. You did a good thing, but we can't let up."

"Yeah, well, she's gone to ground. What I did to you, she'll do back to us." Skye barbed back, with an honesty that would have gotten most commanders reprimanded, but well, she was honest, if anything. They entered the office, Adam's technically, but appropriated by Imran whilst here, the door now shut.

---

"Then what do you think she's up to?" Imran returned the favour.

"Going to somewhere we won't go. Rather than can't. A blimp in the sky we can hit. But somewhere we're not allowed, then I'd have to go outside of the usual rules." Skye's thoughts were rather simple too. She didn't like where this was going. It felt...just a bit too simple.

"Why do you think that?"

Skye looked vacant for a second, shrugging her shoulders as if to say, it was rather obvious.

"It is literally what I'd do. And I imagine you've got me here to tell me that. Or something worse."

"On a tangent, Skye, but do you understand why I chose you for Raven?" Imran's question was a pointed one, one he knew an answer to already.

"Because I did the things that others weren't willing to. Torture, kill, then lead people to do the same. I got the job done. And despite all of that, still believe.....believed, in a greater good. Kept my head when others lost theirs. Are you now going to use that against me?" Skye uttered, Imran nodding.

"All noble things. But the reality is, it's because deep down, you can't ever stop. And you won't, no matter what I tell you. I wasn't sure what I would do to you when you got back because of it. There's no end of three letter agencies who would want your skin up on a wall so they can make another one of you, and we are ever so lucky Sam wiped all the servers and any possibility of it. I am getting told by certain people I deserve to get crucified for that, and they want to do that to Sam. And Ebrima, two for one deal. Off the books though, thank fuck Sam did that, because it means the bodies, the servers and everything with it, is nearly of no use to anyone anymore. That, and your legend seems to scare anyone off from doing anything too stupid. For now." Imran started, looking over the Scot, the blue merino wool fleece wearing operative leaning against a wall, smirking with response.

"We weren't on the record to begin with. You can't just put black marker over the black marker. That's now how that works. Not with the situation at hand." Skye reminded him, Imran scowling in response.

"Well, you wrote on it in pink highlighter with your specific existence, I'm afraid. And now, anything, all of this, is fucked." Imran was perhaps more blunt in response.

"So...what else changed your mind? Spare me the monologue. You have me here because you want me for something insane and you know nobody else will take you up on your offer. Because you think I have nothing to live for apart from solving this." Skye added, looking over as Imran headed to the desk, pulling the folder open. And with it, he pushed a picture across the desk.

The one of Skye's father, Henry, and now the figure that was shaded out, rendered back in.
"You didn't see this, I showed it to Adam, but not you. That is Henry Simmonds, the scientist that the team captured in Marrakesh, and was part of the team involved in...creating you. Henry filled in the blanks on the rest of the programme. Movers, shakers. That sort of thing. And namely, who else was involved. So imagine my shock when I found this person to the left of him, next to the man who raised you." Imran began, Skye eying up the picture. Imran described it as a reminder.

"And this is General George Zhao, formerly a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army, our man in Hong Kong before it was handed back to China, and a rat bastard that defected to the People's Liberation Army five years afterward. He was the military liaison for the project that spawned you. Your third father. And someone who was far too beyond our approach to ever eliminate. And now, he's in Artemis. Not that even Rose would have known the link, after all, we scrubbed George's name from everything we had, damage limitation. She would have been the perfect double agent, if the circumstances were right, yet herself, of her own volition, did what she did because a lot of people that are now dead hurt her beyond a measure any of us can believe. Broke her mind, and well, she just decided we all had to die for it. All of this also means you, Major, were a product of Artemis to begin with if we draw some lines together. Another mark against you those three letter agencies have. Who knows, maybe Ian was too." Imran walked around, looking direct to Skye.

"Fuck. Then Zhao got what he wanted if that's Rose, not me. Maybe my old man too." Skye replied, unable at all to make out of it was her, or her quite literal evil clone sister. Which still felt cartoonish.

"Rose was the fulfilment of all of their dreams and hopes. You, on the other hand, thankfully, weren't. Or else we'd all be dead right now." Imran said, Skye looking in a certain amusement that well, the well just kept going deeper.

"Well, not much shocks me anymore, I'll be honest, at this point you may as well tell me I'm made of wee fucking Tunnocks. And you have Henry? And thought it might not be an idea to introduce me, by the way?" Skye had known rumours. But now, those were true, and well, she had something of a thread on a past before that was tangible.

"Henry's not part of the conversation. Unlike me or you, he has a family he can go back to, so he's left. And no more operational intel for us. We blasted any relevant stuff out of him with a significant amount of MK Ultra derived drugs that we sent him home with. Our standard procedure. Hardly like you have any blood from him anyway."

"Fine."

"Back to Zhao. He's the last piece of the puzzle, and one I put together whilst you were away with Henry. Far as we can tell, he's the only remaining, and operable high level Artemis member still in play. He is the only place that Rose can go to. Yet, we have no idea where he is. Officially, we cannot strike him, hit him in any capacity, at all. I mean that, even in spite of the fact China provided operatives to us before. There is so much tension between America and China right now that any escalation, like killing one of their Generals, might lead to mistakes. All out war. Forget Spectre, or Christian Moller. He's just a broker. We'll get him again, but Zhao, he's the one that counts. Get him, we get Rose." Imran seemed confident, as Skye already could tell where this was going.

"So unofficially, you want us to find him, eliminate him, and torture the hell out of him to find out where Rose is, and then kill her to put an end to this, in the usual geopolitical shitshow we work in?"

"When we have intel, we'll task you up. I expect it to be a hell of a fight. And this time around, there may not be the support you received in your previous missions, given how sensitive this is. This might be off the books. And require you to do something extraordinary."

Skye looked back at him with a cold stare, leaning back against the doorframe, sighing.

"And why do you expect me to work for you, considering that after this is done, there may not be a tomorrow for me? You said it yourself. A lifetime of looking over my shoulder because of what's inside of me. Ian felt that way, I wonder. Maybe that's why he was killed. More I stew on it, more I think that."

"And yet he believed in what you were. While going through the bottom of the draw with Henry, we found this. I think you should have a look at it."

Skye took it in hand, pulling it out. And there it was. a picture of Skye with her father in her youth, she remembered that picture, being held up and smiling on his shoulder. Must have been maybe when she was about eight? Her golden-red hair, curly at that time for some reason. Turning the Polaroid over, she gently brushed the dust off the marking. It was almost as if a snapshot of her past flashed in her eyes, as she read it back.

'My sweet, I'll be back soon.'

Skye looked up to Imran, a certain realisation hitting them both. The text had been faded, the print that it had been inscribed in fading back into colour once the masking on it had given out.

"You don't think he's dead either, do you? You don't have any cracks in your skin. Yet I think looking into your literal self, you wish you could ask that question more." Imran asked an open question, that Skye gave a very closed response to.

"I spent ten years quietly looking in the shadows. And found nothing."

"Then is it worth having a tomorrow for to go find him in?" Imran asked, Skye rolling her shoulders.

"I know what you want. And what you're doing." Skye retorted, as she walked over to Imran, looking outside, at the trees, and spring bloom in the endless conifers.

"Suppose I have nothing to lose. This is all I know, Imran. You got the weapon you wanted. But so long as the team go home after, I don't care."

---

Violin

Sitting there alone, it was something that Skye had packed that she'd wanted to get back to, and before the others came along, she just felt like was the right place for it. The right time, at least. The redhead sat with a puffy jacket and trousers, a scarf wrapped around her neck in the cold Spring night, her red hair beginning to resemble something more than what a tomboy might have. And as she peeled it out of the case, well, it was as if for a brief, if not uninterruptable second, the fiddle reminded her of something else. But instead of playing something old, she played something new. A smirk came across her face. A rare crack, a rare brief glimmer.

It was like some part of her stopped playing old Highland ditties and felt a melody that felt a little more ironic to the situation, a film she'd watched a while ago, that the melody just hadn't left from. A little more of a poking of fun she was getting to learn. That she had picked up from Sam, or was it more Freya? Either way, she played it along. And smirked.

The sound of the fire crackling could be heard, Athena and Purna joining the rest of the crew, wrapped up warm. Antti diligently stoking up more of it, and the small logs and stumps providing seating, under a tree, a little bit away from the main part of the base itself. The orange glow was feint, but growing, bit by bit.

The sky was full of stars, almost reminding Skye of Chile in how beautiful, and endless it was. The crew had gotten up to a variety of tasks throughout yesterday and today, from fixing armour, catching up, to generally keeping busy. Skye finished with the fiddle, seeing Adam come in, the Pole in his usual green wooly sweater and trousers.

"Hey up." Skye added, Adam moving his hands away from the fire, grabbing a seat.

"Hey." Adam replied in a quiet turn, little to response.

"Where's Freya and Chuck?" Skye asked, with almost so much as a glimmer in her eye.

"They uhhh....well, when a man loves a woman very much..."

"Fuck right off, Adam." A cackle of laughter joined, Athena walking over.

"I heard. And I'm not getting in the way of my big sis. Her choice. But, he breaks her heart, I break him into two. And I mean that." Athena giggled, overhearing as she sat down, on a significantly larger log than most, the bubbly, cheery merc living down the fact she'd stolen a blimp yesterday, saved the world too, then got to come back to here.

Purna almost seemed like he disappeared behind her, but then again considering Athena's....well, overbearing nature, and his quiet attitude, that sort of went hand in hand. He took a seat as well, the Nepali wrapped up in a traditional tan-coloured coat, his hair allowed to grow a little back out.

"We did a good job. More to come. But, that feels like half an ending." Purna commented, the wisdom not masking complacency, but at least, not sugar coating what they'd achieved.

"We did. World's not over." Skye smiled back, her words short, perhaps still processing, still taking it all in. There was a lot more in the archive she'd found that Imran had left her. A lot more on the project. A lot of it that needed to be burnt.

"Nope. And because of that, I finally found a use for these." Tahlia added, coming across, lobbing a large packet over towards Skye, the Scot catching it with her spare hand, keeping the violin in one. Putting it down, she chuckled, smiling at what she saw.

"You got the good shit. And this is a reason to stay in that world. No marshmallows in a world where every particle's got some biochemical toxin attached to it." Skye smirked, chuckling as she saw the others come in, one by one, slowly but surely.

Going one by one, Skye unloaded the packet of marshmellows, the one request she had managed to snag since getting here. Adam prepared a few sticks, and with it, Skye, Adam, and quickly gathered the small bundle of sticks.

The others would be joining, and no doubt coming along for a last campfire. A last chance to enjoy this, because Skye knew that whatever was coming next, it might be an even heavier op, requiring all of them, and she had no idea what entirely to expect.

Soundtrack: Everybody Hurts Sometimes - R.E.M.

---

Samantha had been rushed back to base with Skye for medical treatment. Athena, Purna, and Oliver had handled the blimp while Skye had monitored her to make sure she didn’t go back into cardiac arrest. It felt like hours before she was back in Sophie’s tender care. Samantha had been barely functional and that was with help. She might have walked off the airplane but she didn’t make it very far before Sophie had ordered her onto a gurney before she passed out. Sophie was right to be concerned as she had collapsed exhausted onto the gurney. Trying to function through the pain had taken all her focus and energy and she was out after the battle. She had sat on the gurney and just kind of fell over onto her side. Sophie had cursed at her in a language she didn’t know as she passed out.

Sophie had rushed her to the base’s medical facilities where she had been faced with her first challenge. Trying to remove her armor. Some of her armor had sealed itself to her skin. It was taking her skin with the armor as they tried to remove it. Sophie ended up having to remove her armor in pieces. She saved as much of Sam’s skin as she could but she still lost a few large patches on her leg, one arm, and her chest. Sam was grateful that Sophie had knocked her out for that part of the procedure. Sophie had to move slowly while saturating the dehydrated and damaged skin gently pulling it away from the armor. Sophie kept her in a chemically induced coma for pain while she worked. She treated her burns, debriding the wounds to remove any dirt or detritus stuck in them. She had been put on a heart monitor and had a iv drip with pain meds and medications to keep her heart in normal sinus rhythm. Sophie was monitoring her heart closely. Sophie had used skin grafts with medical nanites to speed up the healing process on the worst burns. There was not much Sophie could do about the bruised chest and broken ribs from CPR. She kept Sam knocked out through the night on IV antibiotics, fluids, and nutrients. Sophie finally let her wake up late the following afternoon. She had wrapped her upper torso for extra support to help those fractured ribs heal faster. It would help the pain by preventing them from moving much.

Samantha woke up feeling groggy. It was like a wet blanket was wrapped around her brain. She woke up confused and not knowing where she was. Samantha laid there feeling lethargic and tired even though she had just slept through the night.She felt weak. She tried to move and stretch and she could feel the binding across her ribcage. The movement pulled at her ribcage and the bruises there. She let out a soft whimper “ow”. Sophie’s face came into focus as she stood next to the bed in her lab coat holding a tablet.

Sophie: “Welcome back to the land of the living, Samantha. You need to move slowly while you are healing and move carefully. The skin grafts are holding for now but you can’t stress them while they are bonding. You also have bruising and cracked ribs from CPR. The good news is you will make a full recovery with a little time.”

Samantha blinked in surprise at Sophie. She knew that was a very common turn of phrase but it now held more meaning for her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times as she tried to get out what she needed to ask. “Did I die?”

Sophie was watching her carefully and simply nodded and spoke matter of factly about what happened. “Yes, the electrical shock you took stopped your heart. Lucky for you Skye noticed and got to you in time.”

Samantha lapsed into silence as she thought about what she had experienced. She sighed when those thoughts were interrupted once more by Sophie. Sophie was giving her a stern and exasperated look.

Sophie: “Yes Samantha, you died this time. So please don’t argue with me this time as I advocate for taking it easy for now. I have used medical nanites to speed up healing the fractured ribs and helping the damaged areas of skin regrow and the grafts to bond but even they need a few days to work. In the meantime, please be careful. Move slowly and don’t overstretch those skin grafts or ribs. Return to the infirmary if the pain becomes unbearable, headaches, or if you experience any strange heart palpitations or chest pain.” Sophie gave her a smile as she squeezed her shoulder gently. “I am glad you are still with us. Now get out of the infirmary. You can go laze about in your room or elsewhere.”

Samantha nodded and gave Sophie a genuine smile. “Alright doc.” She moved slowly as she pulled her feet off the bed and set them on the floor. Sophie helped her sit upright on the side of the bed. She helped her pull on some sweatpants and a button up flannel shirt. All Sophie had managed to find for her feet was some socks. It would do for now.



Samantha had managed to make it to the mess hall for some food. She had chosen to go for some hearty stew. She didn’t feel up to anything difficult to eat. She then made it back to her room albeit with cold and wet feet. She laid down and rested for a while after pulling off the cold wet socks. She then called Kameko and told her all about the message from her husband and her adopted grandfather. She had looked both sad and grateful at the same time. She was grateful that Kameko took what she had to say at face value. She didn’t question it like some would have from a Western culture. She just nodded like it was everyday that you got a message from the dearly departed. She told Kameko how much she missed her and that she would be home to visit soon.

Samantha hung up and pondered the experience some more. She had a bad feeling. She knew Rose had escaped. The world was not safe yet. She felt a tear track down her cheek. She had missed them so much. It would have been so easy to stay with them. She managed to find some clean clothes and shower. She had to call Sophie for help with the Torso wrap, who then proceeded to put a waterproof dressing over the burns and skin grafts. She felt better after a shower though. She put the flannel shirt back on with some clean leggings. She managed to bend enough to pull on her boots. She pulled on the heavy winter coat that she had been given. She went in search of Skye. She found her sitting in front of a large campfire roasting marshmallows with Adam, Athena, Purna, and Tahlia.

Samantha smiled to see Skye in what was for her a very domestic scene. It was so at odds with the fiery redhead. She held her ribs tenderly as she moved slowly towards the campfire. She carefully slid down in one of the sturdy wooden chairs next to the fire.

Samantha: “Good evening. What did I miss?”

”I could’ve told you that myself, doctor.” The Cameroonian deadpanned at the diagnosis, ”It’s not my first concussion. Not even the worst one.”
“Clearly…” the Blue Sword medic Dr. Keller sent to get the prescribed medication muttered under his breath.
“That may be so, but while you are under my care I will entertain no such foolishness. You were shot at point blank-”
”I noticed that too.”
“-and maintaining your regular daily routine is simply out of the question until the bruising heals.”
One of the first things Monday taught Ebrima was to pick his battles, and when it came to arguing about medical conditions with Sophie, one couldn’t fold their cards fast enough. Thus he eventually found himself released, with a long prescription and even longer list of things he wasn’t supposed to be doing for a few weeks to heal up properly. ”Since when is reading considered a tasking activity?” he muttered to himself incredulously on the way back to his quarters, bundled up in at least four layers despite the melting snow.

Skye peered in through the door, seeing the pale-faced, albino Cameroonian leave Sophie’s with a long prescription list, nothing she hadn’t done herself.

“Well, you finally got to meet our resident doctor. And spent an extended period of time annoying her. Welcome to the club.” Skye smiled, surprisingly, more upbeat after leaving behind Imran and the meeting she’d had earlier, and found that most of the team had packed up and gone in either to the queue to Sophie’s or the other Blue Sword medics that were now providing triage. It wasn’t uncommon for Raven to come back as walking wounded, but, with the best medics in the business, that was at least something that meant getting a patch up was quick.

“I thought to check in on you. I haven’t seen you since New Zealand. And then, I promptly left. So, thought you know, I’d reintroduce myself under better circumstances.” Skye added, the blue-fleece, cargo-trouser wearing redhead aware that well, there was some bridge to at least cover here. Maybe not as warmly dressed as Ebrima was, but well, Scots blood did keep that cold at bay. Following him, Skye did have to look up, one of the few people outside the giants that she did that with.

”Technically since Japan.” His shrug barely visible under two winter jackets and a scarf. And what better circumstances there could be than ‘Just saved the world.’? ”Must admit, you get points for style, chief.” Refuses to elaborate, jumps out of the plane. If nothing else it was a good example of what working with Raven would be like. ”Amazed Chuck walked in for his checkup on his own, his armor looked more like the surface of the moon than a man-made creation. Your team come back in one piece?”
“Yeah, you could say that. Bit of wee bother. Sam’s heart couldn’t take it. And I mean, literally. So hence why she was first in.” Skye chuckled with the most British understatement ever, shrugging, Sam considering her heart had stopped pretty lucky to have lived, as she shrugged, the two walking towards the main building and quarters, away from the medical block. Skye’s charm seemed to not be dying out, if anything, the events of the past few days had almost kept her more connected to the team than before. Attachment was a weakness, but then again, she wanted that. Kept her human.

“I suppose you caught me on the worst day of my life. In one day, I went from being a normal human being to becoming some sack of flesh produced as part of some military programme. So I suppose falling out of a plane into Shibuya wasn’t the biggest shock to the system.” Skye retorted wittily, the redhead adjusting her laced boot quickly on a stump of wood, looking over to Ebrima, shrugging, remaining humble as she could considering it all.

“Still. I suppose you’re right. Raven isn’t like any other task force. I selected you knowing your capability. Your lethality. You are fucking relentless, you know that? And I suppose, it paid off if what I heard from Adam on the rig is true.” Skye retorted back, breaking that ice a little, laces tied, and walking on. She was direct when she needed to be, that was for sure.

The mention of Sam’s heart was news to Ebrima, he hadn’t been in much of a state to observe what was going on around him after they’d returned. He didn’t know what the medic injected him with right at the start of his visit, but it was effective. ”Aren’t we all sacks of flesh when you look under the hood? How or what one or the other came to be matters little compared to what you choose to do with it. Who to become.”

It was natural for any human being to take compliments well, but at the same time, he may have been good at what he was doing, but that didn’t necessarily make him proud of it. Maybe it was the feelgood juice in his system, but he had to wonder how some others would have perceived this ‘pay off’.

Monday would nod slightly. Maybe even crack a smile.
But that was where the good reactions ended. How would his mother have seen him? Worse, his sister?
”I’m hardly one to judge what any other task force is like. You only get glimpses when they’re coming after you.”

Skye chuckled, smirking at his comment, knowing that it was a reality. They had captured him, but it had taken a significant amount of resources. His boss, of course was one thing, but his right hand man, that was another. Quite something, and Skye would not have wanted to go toe to toe to find him.


“Well, this one’s rather special then. Who knew, take a bunch of misfits who are just really good at what they do, and let them stew. Raven has some of the best.” Skye opened the door on that note, getting inside of the Raven’s Rock building, heading through towards the small common room, grabbing a couple of mugs.
“
“You are right I suppose, we are what we make ourselves. Whether that’s genocidal monsters or whatever this is. I’m not so different from you, I don’t think. Meaning comes from service, just different ways. The money doesn’t really seem to color much in. But this work does. Skye mused, immediately heading to the kettle.

“Tea?” Skye asked, inquisitively, letting Ebrima crash on the couch inside the insulated, wooden complex.

”I suppose that is one keystone of success. Let the professionals work without interference. The world would be in trouble if more people realized that.” quickly shedding the layers in the heated building. ”It’s not the whole truth, though. Motivations, meaning as you call it… Sometimes people are made what they are by circumstance. You don’t even need to look at the extremes such as Rose or Luisa. Even after the pumps and toxin were destroyed and the platform was falling apart around us, some Artemis troops still continued to fight. Do you ever stop to think what compels someone to act in spite of any self preservation like that?”

”Do we have any cocoa powder stashed away somewhere?” Given the way they relocated to the Finnish camp, he hasn’t had much time to investigate the supplies available to them.

Skye raised her eyebrows at it, looking through a cupboard. And right he was.
“We might just do.” Skye seemed friendly in spite of what she perhaps sometimes hid, behind the fleece the lists of cuts, bruises, and most recently, the scar that now sat on her side seemed to illustrate someone who probably had seen some serious shit, that particular scar from getting shanked by an actual sword back in Tokyo. Lucky it hadn’t really penetrated any organs, or she would not be here now, but the bleeding had been horrid. Pulling the top of the sealed container off for the Horlicks, she poured a spoon of it into a cup, and as the kettle hit boil, Skye poured both her own brew and his. She then took the mugs across, facing Ebrima again.

“Money is a motivator, and even more so when it’s a guaranteed spot in a bunker to survive the end of the world. And you were probably in their way of an escape route. But, they had what was coming. Realistically, so does anyone in this game, if you spend enough time in it. ” Skye replied, sitting down on the sofa herself, mixing her tea, a classic Earl Grey. Tahlia had resourced the cupboards well, even within merely being here a couple of days, then helping out in Greenland. She continued to mix away, sighing, as she then leaned back on the sofa.

“I suppose it means I could have just been like you, and you like me. Yet we’re still here. Still doing what we do.” Skye seemed to have a certain resoluteness about her, as if she was in this moment, letting the barriers in. Gone was the warface, the lioness that seemed to roar, as if she was just in this never-ending attack of violence, here was someone else. The part of her that stayed human because it helped a good spy work when under pressure, but then again, also be a normal fucking person understanding motives, beliefs and getting things over the line.

“What gives you reason, Ebrima? The thing that you said….what compels you? Because I know your file. It’s not family. It’s not money. It isn’t glory. If it’s survival, then there must be something worth surviving for.” Skye changed the tone gently even in spite of her slight husk, direct, and understanding how he was as a person, knowing this wasn’t some therapy session, but, she wanted to get to know him in the face to face more than just an interview, actually get inside, and she knew there was an angle to take. She wasn’t quite like this with Sam, maybe even Freya, and Freya was the nerd that could squish anyone into fine particle matter. It was going to be difficult to penetrate, but she was careful, if not almost keen eyed to set this up.

”Some would argue I got a lot better than I had coming. Thank you.” He gestured at the rec room around them as he accepted the cup of steaming taste of home. Chiefly among them a certain Japanese someone last seen digging through some captured files, more as mental white noise as her brain worked overtime to process the most recent traumatic experiences.

‘What gives you reason?’ Wasn’t that a question for the ages. One he hadn’t asked himself in a very long time. Too long. The nasty glare at whoever even suggested knowing about his family was a subconscious reflex by this point in time. Fame, or rather infamy? Not good in the merc line of work. And yet he failed to avoid it. Money? That had been a motivator indirectly, but now everything and everyone he needed it for was either dead or incarcerated in Tel Aviv. Thanks, Raph. And survival? Yes, but.”Does ‘spite’ count?” He looked up from his cup. Technically speaking it was survival, but not for having much to keep going for as much as simply being too stubborn to simply lie down and wait for the end.

”Spite counts.” Skye giggled, shaking her head, sitting up, realising she was definitely poking at something here.
”Merely existing and knowing you do what you do best is sometimes enough. Just means you need something to point it at. And perhaps that’s all you know. I get how you feel….I mean, I found escapes. Ran from home when given an opportunity, and didn’t stop till I got here. Then all of the adrenaline. Makes you feel alive, you know? And then I’d have been the one hunting you though, so, I guess together, we’re going to have to figure something out when this whole mess is done. Because it is going to get us killed.” Skye chirped back with a light chuckle, perhaps her wisdom stemming not so much from any formal qualification, but more just her intuition, and her insight into someone that did what she did. Almost like she wanted the words to say to herself more, because she felt like she almost stared at half a black mirror of herself.

”Maybe one day we get some simunitions and see how that would have turned out.” Ebrime laughed heartily, ”I’ll take those odds. Chuck or Freya, eeehh…” He made a so-so gesture with his hand. Spite would probably not be enough there.

”The trick is, never go direct for a giant. They can’t move as fast as you can, so you just stay out of the line of getting punched. And go for limbs, weak points. Then, if you can get them in the neck, don’t stop because you only get one shot at it.” Skye almost seemed deadpan, giggling, as she broke with laughter.

”I thought similar, except achilles tendons and behind the knees.” He replied in the same tone. Just two coworkers talking shop. That just so happened to entail how to kill their other coworkers. ”Purna might be fifty-fifty, depending if he catches you cloaked or not.”

”See, I thought that. But it’s hard to get a good hit in. I dropped one two years ago. Mean fucker. Beat him to death with a….well, he had a sex toy, and I tell you, that’s a story to tell after a lot more whisky.” Skye broke with that awkward turn, giggling, nodding on his comment about Purna. Not that she’d uhh….told that story to the team prior without him knowing about it.
“Yeah, cloaked operatives are more just, lay fire into an indiscriminate area. I caught one once. Tiny bit of blur. But no armor means you get one round on target….you get a few more for free.” Skye seemed almost as if she was reeling this off like another Tuesday, of course, this was all among friends, as she sat up.

“Maybe we will. VR sims are pretty good. You gave me a good chuckle, Ebrima. I think after this is done, I need to show you some parts of the world you might not have seen. A part I haven’t, to be honest. Haven’t seen my mum in years, and after all of this, I wonder if she half knows all of what went down. Being a pisshead, and all.” Skye turned the topic as she mused on home, at first a distraction, then slowly a reminder, the commander of the team reflecting on roots.

”Legally speaking, what I do after this is in your, or I suppose Oracle’s hands.” He hurried to turn the conversation away from family, ”This is all my… what is the expression? A golden cage.” He shrugged, not quite getting it right but getting the point across. ”But it’s not all bad. Saving the world. It’s been a while since I’ve done something that felt like it mattered.” That was definitely Sophie’s feelgood juice and bruised brain talking.

“That’s the funny thing, Ebrima. This isn’t a prison sentence. This isn’t the suicide squad. Being here required some sort of will. And while you are useful to us fighting, you still decided to do the right thing rather than run as far away as you could when shit got real.” Skye retorted, realizing it might take him a little by surprise, as she sipped down some tea.

”It was this or an actual prison sentence, that’s not a choice to most people.” He countered.

”Yet still a choice you made when being lucky enough to get it, because if you think you’re existing out of spite, you’d do well in prison, Ebrima, not getting laced by people carrying gear more advanced than most special forces. The chance you might do some good. Maybe you’ve needed a little of that. Raven has made sure that people go to sleep without knowing what horrors might happen to them and that the lights stay on, because of all the horrible, fucked up stuff we do, and as insufferable as it seems, at least we all agree it’s better this way. If it wasn’t Rose, it was another insane motherfucker that hijacked a pair of nuclear station in Idaho and Kerala to set the world in nuclear hellfire, before that, someone wanted a DNA-based virus that would fall through humanity like a hot knife in butter. So, irrespective of what you were before. What you’ve done. I suppose that may be the start to offset that life. And whatever you want in it after, is yours. You’re not an instrument, you’re the bad motherfucker you are because you decided this is what you like. I suppose you go from here, deciding what that is. Purna’s maybe a model for you, if you want. Ironically. Just keep doing what you do best.” Skye sipped more tea down, completely in contrast, her Scots tones having that ability to warm, and yet chill at the same time.

“Or, have a terrible coping mechanism for orphaned operators, or operators that can’t work anywhere else, and look after them day to day. I suppose I know what I picked….” Skye smirked, sipping more of it down, sighing a little.

”I had a plan like that once. Something resembling retirement, even. Of course the joke is that the reason that’s dust and the reason I am here are one and the same. But the sad thing is: I know this. The fighting, the sleepless nights and trying to ignore your compatriot bleeding out at your feet because you both know he’s already gone - between this and prison, this was the easy choice.” He knew he was a mess, going through the motions because that was what he knew like some office rat trapped in a mortgage, but fuck was it sad to hear out loud. Yet at the same time if uncle Monday taught him nothing but one single thing, it was the fight, to not just lie down and let life take its course. ”You say I am who I am because I decided I like this.” He shook his head with a chuckle in respectful disagreement. ”None of this comes even close to that. As you most likely know, despite my wishes and best efforts. But sometimes… people are made who they are by circumstance, not choice.” He circled back to his earlier sentiment.

“Like you’re trapped. Addicted even. The thing that made you is what you keep coming back for.” Skye replied, providing an honest assessment, a brutal one perhaps, but cutting straight to the chase.
”It’s not something that’s escaped me, that me and Rose are perhaps polar opposites, yet she was sort of right. We are similar, I mean, how many lives did I end in cold blood as well. Less, but methods were the same. Perhaps subconsciously because it’s what we want, just….different outcomes. I can’t imagine living in what you did. But, you still keep going, and that’s enough. And you always have choices about what comes next.” Skye replied, perhaps knowing it wasn’t the full answer, but it was the start of one.

‘Addicted’ wasn’t the right word. Now, ‘trapped’, that was it. Not knowing how to get out, not knowing if it was possible at all. Perhaps even just unwilling to take the leap of faith and face the uncertainty. Even the phrase ‘coming back to’ was out of place, as that implied he ever left it behind. There was comfort in familiarity, however awful its reality was. And the things - the people, many only barely making the definition of the word in his mind - made him who he is? At least he could consider that a success - he outlived them all.

”Should I be worried about any subconscious desire to bring about armageddon?”

Skye laughed, shrugging her shoulders as she sipped down more tea, shaking her head.
”I mean, you don’t hate people in general that much, even you, Ebrima. You might think that. But I think you know right and wrong. Even when it isn’t that easy to spot.” Skye chuckled, gently giving him a nudge on that note, a shit-stirring smirk on her face, as she sighed, looking back outside.
”So somehow, we need to both figure this out. Both our souls I guess are looking pretty bleak.” Skye exhaled, finishing up her tea, unfolding her legs, looking out the window.
“Perhaps there are no good answers. Just keep going.” Skye mused, looking to Ebrima, trying to get a read.

Bold to assume he cared enough to hate. ”That would take a special person. Luisa was one such case. Though I suppose there are plenty more where she came from.” The conversation had surprised him, or rather he had surprised himself. Perhaps the similarities between the two made it easier to share. He’d call them both right and proper fuckups if his mother hadn’t taught her children not to curse. ”Keep going, for now. Maybe when the dust has fully settled tomorrow, I should take Raph aside to explain how many people who would have joined up if given the facts he indirectly led to their death.” He flashed a toothy grin, technically being justified in holding a grudge against the Israeli, but frankly? He’d only been doing his job on the correct side of the barricade… and Ebrima didn’t care enough to hate.

”If I may though: How did you find Enri?” He asked, curiosity getting the better of him. ”It was like seeing a ghost.”

Skye shrugged, knowing the response was not going to be one that felt convenient to him. It had left a mark on him, certainly a dent in even his unflappable personality.
”She happened to work for Ban’s people. And I needed a voice changer, on short notice….so, there she was. Pure chance, literally could not make it up, but more improbable things have happened. And was the reason we could do what we did in Nagoya. Meaning this all happened.” Skye replied, cooly at least, almost with a little detachment.

“She probably would appreciate the same chat from you as well, Ebrima that Raph probably should have with you. We’re all the heroes in our own story, and the villain in someone else. I know, it’s bullshit. Revenge being this whole thing which never stops, a slight here, a slight there. Not unless you kill everyone. Yet, for these little things, that wound’s gonna have to heal, or it’ll rot and eat you whole. It isn’t really hate. It’s just…..that part of us that never lets go. Wants to find something to make it all feel like what we do is right.” Skye responded, knowing it might not touch Ebrima, as she turned, putting the mug back down.

“I suppose I could be better too. But hey. There we are. I’m not your therapist. Just a thought for your question from earlier.” Skye replied, dusting herself off, standing up and taking Ebrima’s empty mug, turning the tap on, and then running water through it.

”I’ll be sure to let the doctor know before I do, just so she knows why in case I turn up with another head injury.” He chuckled, the technicolor-haired and unexpectedly loud-mouthed hacker now completely unknown waters. But at the same time he couldn’t help but envy the woman. She didn’t just roll with life’s punches, she carved something out of them. Maybe getting shot in the head and living to tell the tale was a good omen?

”You could batter the shit out of her, and yet you’re scared of her. That’s funny.” Skye giggled, wondering how on earth he was scared of such a little timid operative, that looked totally, if not completely out of form in military fatigues, Skye more sarcastic than usual. Even for how brave Enri was, and lacking in fucks, in the moments where sword mattered more than keyboard, Skye knew where she sat, but, was more to the point, poking a little fun there.
“But yeah. Maybe you should talk to her. World nearly ended early today.” Skye added, realising Ebrima had seen it another way.

”I am a gun for hire. I shoot whoever I am told to shoot when I have ammunition, and stab them when I don’t.” Ebrima explained his situation with complete seriousness, ”Someone else always handled the talking. Besides there are some people - doctors and engineers - that you do not anger.” Hitting him with it wasn’t the worst thing Enri could do to someone with a keyboard.

“Then find another way to solve your problems that isn’t either of those things. After all, like you said, you have nothing to lose. Maybe some pride, and Enri’ll just burn up and get shitty, then it’ll move on, because she’s got the same rights as you have to be here. So tell her that, and get to the bottom of whatever it is you both have, if it helps you at least out of the hole you’re in. And if I need to be a counselor between the two of you because it keeps going, I’ll just drag you both on a quad bike, roofied out of your asses, into the middle of the Finnish wilderness till one, or both of you come back, and deal with it because unless you want to keep on living the rest of your lives wondering about some shit comms, you both need something. And more to the point, because if we have more work, I need all the cohesion I can get.” Skye seemed almost understated in the way she described that process, as she put the cups away, almost as if this was still small chat.

“Please tell me you can talk to someone when your head is better rather than me doing that, because it’s a lot of work and a lot of paperwork after. I’d really appreciate it, because while I appreciate the distraction, having genocidal evil fucking clones to go and kill are kinda enough of a conflict to deal with in one week.” Skye simply retorted, just at this point, her voice bubbling into almost a disappointed schoolteacher, the reminder of course, that whilst Skye was a team leader, she was also not going to give therapy here, she was just going to lay it on straight to someone she knew she could.

Ebrima’s reaction perhaps wasn’t what Skye expected, as he hadn’t laughed this hard in the last three or four weeks. ”No, it’s fine. I will get some earplugs from the range and get to it tomorrow.” Skye was definitely right in one instance: He had fuck all to lose. Even reputation didn’t matter much to a merc who was officially serving what was functionally a life sentence somewhere in Israel.

Skye chuckled, a smirk breaking from the moment of her, as she pulled her puffy coat off the hangar, amused by his reaction, knowing she’d gotten through.
“Good. Speaking of paperwork, I have some post-mission work to do. And medicals to look at. And requisitions. Javi is over in the garage repairing the hovercraft if you’re bored, and whilst he is a chatty bastard that might make you want ear defenders, he might appreciate the company. There may be a few others around too. ” Skye seemed to have that aura of business, as she looked over, holding the door open.

”I would offer to help with the clerical work, but I’m not supposed to tax my brain by reading or writing. Doctor’s orders.” He shrugged with as close to an innocent expression as he could muster.

“Then don’t consider a career in management where you work with whatever concussion you have. Sophie’s advice ends up being.really ignorable at that level. On that note, I’ll see you later at the campfire. Later.” Skye smirked, not hinting at her own assessment, the injuries, cuts and bruises played down a little more, as she always seemed to. Too fucking stubborn. And on that reply, she headed out, off towards the Blue Sword barracks to grab some spare ammunition to refill her M31’s spent mags, and get to work on the rest of the admin she had planned before meeting Ebrima.

Fireteam Poseidon

---

Chuck had helped pull the SDV up the ramp into the aircraft’s hold. He pulled off what was left of his outer heavy armor. It was trashed. He found it easier to move after. He began to look around at his team. Everyone looked to be functioning although he suspected Ebrima was going to need to be looked over at the base.

Freya had crawled up onto the SDV then crawled up and helped Chuck pull the SDV in. Kept her helmet closed the whole time until they were all loaded in. But once they were and everyone was settled her face plate snapped open and well maybe she hadn’t been sure how much of her pain she allowed to show on her face. She’s usually more composed than that.

His eyes landed on Freya. His heart twisted at the emotional agony on her face. He didn’t know what had happened with Freya on the rig but he could see she was struggling. He struggled for a moment with whether he should give her space or not. He decided to hell with that. He sat on a crate in the back of the aircraft and pulled Freya gently but firmly by the shoulders into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and just held her. He rocked her gently and just tried to be there for her. He knew if she wanted to be alone she would let him know. He also knew he was taking a chance but it was gutting him to see the pain and uncertainty on her face.

He whispered into her ear. “It’s okay. The mission is over. Let it out. I’ve got you.”

So she’s just a touch surprised when Chuck tugs her over.

At first she’s not quite receptive to it. But something about the way he coos to her.

…and she melts into his lap.

But still for a time she just sits there, but that rocking and the care he has slowly chips away at her normally stoic and steel hard shell.

The first sound could be mistaken for a cough, or a choke. Until the tear is noticed, followed by a matching streak on the other cheek. The big mad lass science girl begins to cry just a little.

Then whispers to Chuck, “This may come as a surprise, but I’m not the chaste girl I make out to be. My sister Athena is more wild, but I have my moments.” She chokes a bit on her words as she feels she needs to come clean. She closes her eyes and nuzzles into his shoulder, “Laura and I we..well we’ve been on and off again a lot you see. Work on missions, or projects, and the spark would relight and suddenly we’re back in bed. And it’s all about the gratification right? She’s the source of my pansexual awakening and all…” She gulps unsure of how that highlight will come across.

Chuck knew that Freya was going through something personal that was triggered on the rig. He had been fighting in a different area and did not know what happened in the fight where she was. What he did know was that he liked Freya. She was beautiful, smart, and fun. He had been trying to ask her out for a while now but Raven had been rolling from one crisis to another since he had met her. The team had not really had any downtime.

Chuck smiled a little and gave Freya a lopsided grin as she began to speak. He cupped her face with one hand and ran his thumb over her cheek to wipe away the latest tear. He looked her in the eyes and let the grin slide from his face. He could see she was dealing with a lot. He didn’t want to add to her pain.

“Freya, we all come with history and emotional baggage. Anyone who says they don’t is lying.” He shivers a little as she nuzzles into his shoulder. He revels in the amount of trust he knows she is showing him. “Okay so I am not sure what pansexual means. I get that you were in a relationship with Laura…”

He stutters to a stop as his brain puts two and two together. He continues to hold her tight and squeezes her gently in a hug as he continues. “And you had to fight her and leave her behind on the rig that just exploded.”

He didn’t know what to say. He wouldn’t apologize or tell her he was sorry because it was not his fault Laura had been there or on the wrong side this time. All he could do was support her and help her through whatever emotional crisis she was going through.

“I won’t pretend I know how you feel right now or what you are going through. All I can tell you is that if you want to talk about it, I will listen. I am not here to judge you. What I see right now is someone I am coming to care about a great deal, in pain.” He continued to hold her and stroked her hair soothingly as he waited for her to process what he was saying. He wanted the opportunity to get to know her better but now might not be the best time for bringing that up. He would follow her lead. He also didn’t want any misunderstanding with her family. He still wanted to talk to her brother and father.

Freya sighs, “Think of it…like your first love. Who then betrays you and hurts you. Even a little bit. And you then do something that might have hurt them…I don’t know if she’s alive or not. I didn’t get a finisher. Knowing Laura though she’s nursing something painful.” She huffs and leans her head against him.

Chuck lets her snuggle deeper into his lap. He continued to stroke her hair and hold her close. Just letting her talk as she wanted too. He could be patient. It wasn’t like they would be landing in the next ten minutes.

The big red headed woman takes a second or two, “You know…theme of where have all the good guys gone. I think you might be one of them and if we have a chance…really hope we do, I’m glad I get it.” Yep that’s a dodge of the wanting to talk about it, probably still working things through herself.

After abit though, “You know, my Dad and Brother are going to want to have a long long talk with you. I’m sure they have some inkling, brothers and fathers always do. And my Dad had a traditional upbringing in some ways.” She hums and nuzzles his chin, like a giant cat, no not a house cat it’s like a giant predator cat nuzzling a human. All she needs is the ears, tail, and claws. “Don’t let them scare you okay? When ever Athena brings someone new home they get on them. When ever Jamie finds someone Mom and Dad grill them too. I’m the nice girl though, the one who’s waited. So the first guy I like, yes you, they’re going to want to get at.” She smiles, “Just be nice. And be patient. Wanna keep you for abit.”

Chuck’s body tightened in response to her nuzzling. His heart fluttered at her words as hope filled him. He chuckled as she warned him about her family. He pulled Freya’s chin around so he could look her in the eyes. “I have every intention of speaking to your father and brother.” He paused and gave her a bright smile. “Freya, you need to know I am playing for keeps. I plan to make my intentions known to your folks. I respect you and your family. I don’t want to come between you all. I am very close to my family as well. I understand that bond. Are you okay with me talking to them?” He couldn’t resist brushing a kiss along her lips before pulling back and waiting for her answer.

Freya hums and nods, “Well, that’s good to hear, you’ll get a leg up with that kind of attitude. Just don’t let my Dad get to you, he’s a good guy. But he’s one of the original Super Heavy Juggernauts Chuck, he and my mother literally wrote the book on how we do our business. Everything we learned in our respective training to reach where we are, my parents practically pioneered. So seeing you as a Super Heavy he’s going to be very hard on you.”

Freya gave him a hug and was about to say more but that kiss stops her and she sighs, leaning up and giving him another kiss. What ever else she was going to say forgotten, it’s not so bad to find someone who’s good for you after all.

---

They had long since made it back to base. Chuck had parted from Freya with mixed feelings. He enjoyed her company but he had things to put in place before he could take the next step. He needed to talk to her father and brother. Chuck needed some food and sleep before taking that on. He wanted to be at the top of his game uncertain how that conversation would go. Chuck had showered and gone to pick up Duke, and they hit the mess hall for some chow. Then he had gone to bed for a good night’s rest after a long battle and then the trip home. He then went to find Freya’s father or at least set up a meeting with him and Jamie. Letting them know he wanted to talk to them in private.

It had taken a short bit. No response had come from Victor Kanatariio, but Jamie had come to Chuck maybe a day after Chuck had sent his request. Jamie Cole Kanatariio in the moment had looked stoic and firm. He’d stood and called to the other giant, “Chuck, if you’d come with me. I’ve been asked to bring you to a meeting.” He’d not waited for Chuck to say much Jamie with a rigid step had led the way out to waiting Blue Sword company helicopter. Jamie jumping in and waiting for Chuck.

Chuck nodded and followed Jamie with Duke at his side. When he saw the waiting helicopter he paused and looked down at Duke. He pulled a leash out of his pocket and clipped it onto Duke’s collar. He handed the leash to one of the guards around the helipad. Chuck looked at the guard and handed him the leash. “This is Duke. I am needed in an urgent meeting. Please take him to Tahlia Harris. Tell her Chuck Simmons has asked that she look after him while I am gone. Thank you.” He bent down and gave Duke a quick scratch behind the ears. “I will be back boy. Be good for Tahlia.” Duke woofed at him and gave a happy tail wag before taking a seat. Chuck just smiled and gave him one more pat before following Jamie onto the helicopter. He had to duck quite a bit to miss the whirling rotors. He buckled in for the ride. Jamie didn’t talk to him so he just shrugged and went with it. Chuck had a suspicion that Jamie had been sent to fetch him for his father.

The heli had taken them south, finally out of the Park and to the small town of Vuontisjärvi. And there landing at a small landing pad meant for medical choppers. And then again a car brought the pair to a diner tucked into the middle of the town. For all that Victor helps command a large military force. There are no guards.

Chuck had watched the scenery pass below them as the helicopter flew them to their destination. He was curious when the copter landed in a small town. Jamie had led him to a waiting car with a driver. He got in without a word curious about where he was going. Chuck was amused when they arrived at a diner. Chuck had been quietly following Jamie. He had been plucked from the base unprepared so he was dressed as he typically would be for the day. He was wearing green camo BDU pants, a black tshirt, and a heavy jacket, with black combat boots. He had a black beanie pulled down over his ears. It was cold at the base with snow on the ground. Chuck followed Jamie into the warm diner. He paused at the door to knock any dirt or snow off his boots before entering the diner. Jamie led the way inside and to the table where his father sat eating a snack.

In fact they find Victor nibbling at some mozza sticks, with a large pitcher of diet soda at hand. He hums and motions his son and Chuck over. He gestures to the two seats at the broad table, “Come on over, the kitchen is taking any orders. Get something to eat and drink and then we talk business, yes?”

Chuck gave Victor a respectful nod. “Thank you sir.” He pulls off his jacket and hangs it on a hook beside the table. He then takes the indicated seat and looks over the menu while Jamie orders.

Chuck looked over the menu with amusement. If this was going to be his last meal, he might as well enjoy it. He respected Victor and Jamie but he also knew that honorable men were protective of the women in their lives. Chuck was super protective of his younger sister Annabelle. It was probably a good thing he was away from home now that she was away at college and dating. He ordered two burgers, fries, onion rings, and a coke. He turned his attention to the other two men.

He sits and waits, Jamie ordering a local meat and potato dish and a whole arse pitcher of diet soda as well. The pair look at Chuck as they wait. Jamie’s gaze curious. Victor, big victor Kanatariio, the big Patriarch of the Family that Chuck has expressed interest in, has a look something in the range of a giant predator cat or a big bird of prey. And he’s looking at Chuck like he’s the prey.

Chuck waited till the waitress left before turning his attention to the Kanatariio men. “Thank you for inviting me.I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me” Chuck turned his head to take in Jamie before turning his head back to Victor. He was following the order of business presented by Victor. He said business would come after the meal. He met Victor’s gaze calmly. He understood that Victor and Jamie both were testing him and trying to determine if he was good enough for the battle goddess. Chuck knew he was sitting in a powder keg situation that could end his life. He was not stupid. He also had confidence in his own skills and worth. He also knew that dating the battle goddess would be worth all this trouble. Chuck waited patiently for the next item of business or food. He was content to wait for the deep fried goodness that he had not indulged in for weeks. Eating game meat could get old after a time. “It will be nice to eat something different.”

The meal is polite, with abit of a side of tension. Jamie and Victor are pretty good conversationalists. With a wide range of topics. From Sports, to politics, global and national. They even get into a wonderfully animated conversation about dogs, and Victor gushes abit when introduced to Duke through a picture. He’d commented at how majestic and powerful Duke looks, and what a great partner he has to be. Jamie is a little more stiff, he knows exactly why they are here after all. But he tries to be a good conversationalist.

Chuck’s meal was great. It had been a while since he had gotten to indulge in deep fried goodness. It wasn’t his mother’s fried chicken but the onion rings and fries were hot and salty and hit that craving for him. He kept up the light talk as dinner progressed. He happily showed off some pictures and videos of Duke that he had on his phone. “Jamie didn’t tell me where we were going. I would have brought him if I had known it was okay to do so. I felt without knowing it was safer for him to leave him at base. He is well trained and the best canine partner I have ever had.” The meal passed pleasantly. Victor was everything that Chuck had thought he would be and more. He respected the hell out of him. He would remember to say a prayer tonight that Freya’s father was a man he could understand and not some stuffed suit in an office that he would have nothing in common with. Chuck braced himself as the plates were cleared away. Now came what he expected would be one of his most uncomfortable conversations ever. Chuck would do it though because that is what he would expect for someone who wanted to date his sister or his daughter someday if he was ever blessed with children.

Finally though dinner is finished. And the three sit about the table. It’s now that Victor, Big Bad Victor looks at Chuck, “Enough with the pleasantries for abit. I’m going to be brutally direct.” He sets the pitcher of his drink down beside him then leans forward, staring at Chuck, “What are your intentions towards my eldest daughter? Now Freya is important to us. She’s smart, wise, and determined. If she sees something in you, that’s a green flag for you, but I still want to make sure you’re going to treat her right. You’re not going to dampen down her love of science, and if you both continue doing the mercenary thing, that you work with her and keep her safe when you can. Understood kiddo?”

Chuck sat with his hands folded comfortably on the table in front of him. Chuck looked Victor into his eyes and gave him a direct response back. “I asked for this meeting so I could declare those intentions to you directly and ask your blessing to date your daughter. I already told Freya that I am playing for keeps. I call Freya the Battle Goddess. It started out as a passing joke in battle one day. I have found her to be kind, fun, intelligent, wise, beautiful, and deadly. To be blunt sir, she is the whole package. I am old enough and wise enough to know when a good thing crosses my path. My plans are to date your daughter and see where things go. If it leads to marriage, I plan to commit.” He paused and waited a moment to allow Jamie to chime in as well. He knew his friend would say something because he was breaking bro code where sisters are off limits.

Jamie through all that is nodding in agreement. He then pipes up, “I’ll be upfront, I’ve suplexed more potential suitors that have tried to do wrong by Freya then I can count. Laura is the only one who pulled up her shorts and kept abreast with Frey. I don’t want to have to do it again. You seem like a good guy Chuck, I’ve seen the looks Freya sends your way. Don’t hurt her.”

Chuck turned his attention to Jamie. “Let me be just as direct with you Jamie. I consider you a friend. It is hard to make friends who can keep up with me physically.” He gave a wry smile at that thought. Jamie had grown up in a family of giants. Chuck was the only giant in his family. His father, brother, and grandfather were tall but nowhere near his height. That had given him some unique challenges growing up. “I would never knowingly hurt Freya. I also know she is a smart independent woman and would prefer that we men not make decisions for her. However, I also know how much her family means to her. Which is why I told her I was playing for keeps and planned to talk to you both. I asked her if it was alright with her before I asked you both for a meeting. I would never disrespect her.” Chuck turned from Victor to his son meeting their eyes.

The pair of Kanatariio men look across at Chuck steadily.

Then out of no where Victor continues with, “So what kind of Suitor Price can you bring to the table? I know you have a good job, but what can you offer to show you value and care for Freya?”

Chuck looked surprised by that question. He began to sweat a little bit. This was the first thing that he had not been expecting. He was not sure how to respond. He tilted his head to the side in confusion. “Do you mean a dowry? That’s very old fashioned.” He laughed knowingly and nodded at Victor. “I am pretty sure Freya makes way more money than I do. I have been a military man all my adult life. The pay was better after I moved to Raven but that was a recent development. Uncle Sam doesn’t pay as well but I have retirement and veteran benefits coming to me when I do decide to retire officially.”

He paused thinking about his question. “Well sir, it would need to be something rare and special to be worthy of your daughter. I am not the kind of man who can afford something like that. That means it will need to be something I can do. One of things I can do for you of course is take the odd job here and there for Blue Sword. I am a highly trained and skilled operator. That is not really special enough for Freya’s hand though is it?” He took a drink of his soda as he thought about it.

“I could train you a dog once I have a free stretch of time. I hope to breed Duke in the next year or so and train some of his puppies. Is that something you would like?” He looked up at Victor with a questioning look on his face.

Both Kanatariio men sit there listening and gazing upon Chuck. As he uses the word Dowry Jamie twitches abit but makes no more outward gesture. Victor is straight faced and stoic. The talk of money made Jamie break their silence, “You ought to see her contracts Chuck, there’s more Space and Military dollars coming in to her then we can easily count. In fact I understand my big sister has a new mass driver cannon contract to launch satellites and maybe even space craft into space. My sister is going far.”

After abit though Victor can’t help it he bursts out laughing and Jamie lets out an explosive breath he’s been holding since he talked about some of Freya’s accomplishments and future jobs.

Jamie huffs, ‘That was hard…really hard. I didn’t think I could keep it up. Damn Dad, you’re not going to be like this when Athena and I find SOs are you?” Victor hums and takes a long pull from his drink, “I’ll think about it.” He looks at Chuck and nods, “No. No and no. I was watching, seeing what you’d be willing to do. You don’t need to work for Blue Sword, you don’t need to contribute from your own pocket. Though the Dog idea sounds nice I wouldn’t want to take that time out from you. No boy…no son.” The big in body and big in aura man emphasizes that last part. He nods and Jamie grins. Victor continues, “If you’re really serious, and you can take care of my girl, you got all green lights from me. My wife likes you too and said she’s okay with it as well. Athena, well Athena can talk to you herself. That girl is a force on to her own, all my kids are.” He looks to Jamie.

Chuck couldn’t help the look of relief on his face. “Are you going to tell me what the suitor price is? Please accept my humble apology that I missed some important cultural piece. This is what I would have done for a girl I was serious about in America. I won’t hide my relationships like some American men, only approaching their family later. I respect Freya. Thank you for your blessing sir. I will protect and cherish her.”

Jamie hums and leans forward causing the table to creak under their combined weight, “You treat my sister good, you protect her, your care for her, and I got no problem with you seeking her hand alright? Just make sure I’m one of the best men if it gets that far. And remember in family fights…I’m well obligated to hold you down and shank you, rather than her. Still I’ll stand on the field with you, and make sure my sister’s man can make it back to her.” He gets up then walks over and gives Chuck a paired thump on the shoulder, right and left at the same time, “Don’t rush to tie the knot yeah?”

He turns to Jamie and lifts an eyebrow. “We are going to explore what’s between us at the speed that is right for us. That means Freya.” He liked Jamie but he really didn’t need Freya’s brother telling him to slow down and respect her. From his perspective Freya was jumpy as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. It had taken this long to get a kiss and a promise of a date. He understood her enough to know how important her family is to her. He also knew she came from a different culture to him. He wanted to make sure he honored that. If she wanted to move at a glacier’s pace then he would move at a glacier’s pace. That would depend on her needs and her needs alone.

Victor nods, “So we doing dessert? And anything we can ask the kitchen to cook to take home? Freya likes shrimp by the way Jamie.” He winks, and reaches out to point at the two shrimp dishes on the menu.

“Hmmm do they have apple pie or something equivalent? And can I get a couple of burger patties or a plain steak for Duke. It would make a nice apology for him since I had to leave him behind.” He looked over at Victor with a warm smile. “When Duke has puppies, I will let you know. You can come by and have the pick of the litter. Training always goes better if there is some connection from the very beginning.” Chuck offered Victor his hand to shake. “I respect you in your own right Victor. My prowess as a canine trainer would only be enhanced by gifting you one of Duke’s own.” He gave him a wry smile. “I feel like I should at least send your wife an acknowledgement of some kind. Maybe a card and flowers? Any suggestions here?” He gave Victor a pleading look. He knew it was his grandmother who really ruled the family. He suspected Freya’s mother had more sway then was revealed and he would not knowingly exclude her and piss her off.

Victor leans back and hums, “Natalie…well…hmm how do I…” He blinks then grabs Jamie and ducks under the table, and good timing too as the front door of the diner bursts inwards, almost like it was kicked. And the thick husky and lets face it sexy Russian accent of Natalie Kanatariio nee Denisova booms, “Victor! You left me out of the meeting? I only heard after you left and was not fast enough to catch the plane you took! I am very put out with you! And you! Jamie Cole Kanatariio! You of all people, I thought would let your mother know!” Jamie and Victor can be heard planning how to get out of this. Something about Jamie going left and Victor going right to make it hard to get pelted.

Chuck blinks as chaos seems to center on the diner they are in. Freya’s mother arrived and the atmosphere changed immediately. Victor and Jamie both went scrambling for cover. Chuck couldn’t help but smile a little. He didn’t dare laugh. He had a suspicion but it had just been confirmed. He also knew his balls would be on the chopping block if he didn’t manage a decent deflection and redirection for all of them. Chuck scrambled to his feet which was made more difficult by victor diving under the table. He almost slipped out of his chair. He sat back down again hard before finally managing to free his feet. Victor then comes flying out the side of the table. He takes off running one way and Jamie splits to go the other.

As they are Natalie with great strides makes for the table. As as Jamie goes one way and Victor the other she arrives and just barely misses grabbing Victor, “Ahhh! I’ll get you both later!” She turns and looks at Chuck, “You…you are the one that my Freya emailed us about. I recognize your face from the picture she sent us.”

He just manages to stand and make sure he looks half presentable when Natalie is standing in front of him. He crosses his hands in front of him and straightens his spine as if he was saluting a superior officer. Chuck offers the woman a respectful nod in greeting. “Hello Mrs Natalie Kanatariio nee Denisova. Yes I am Charles Simmons but all my friends and family call me Chuck. It is a pleasure to meet you. I can see where Freya gets her beauty from.”

She’s a tall, powerful looking woman, chiseled face, a figure to die for, but with a clear power to her. She’s wearing BlueSword fatigues with her Colonel's insignia on it. She narrows her eyes, “My fool of a husband and my son have likely given you their blessings. But.” She opens her hand and offers it out palm up, “Hand.” She orders, “Let me look at you.” Her eyes narrowing, “We shall see if you are worthy of our Thrud.”

Chuck obediently offers her his hand. “I want you to know that I did reach out to meet with Victor and Jamie first but my grandmother would have my hide for not seeking your approval as well. As a matter of fact, I had just asked him if bringing you flowers would be appropriate.” Chuck knew he was being judged and felt as if he made the wrong move here would cost him dearly. He had never felt danger more acutely in his life. All his senses and instincts were telling him to run. He cleared his throat and waited patiently for judgment. “I guess all I can do is hope that I pass your judgment then. I respect Freya and would never ever disrespect her or intentionally hurt her. May I say madam that your daughter is one of the most amazing women I have ever met?” He gave her a sincere smile and tried not to quake in his boots like a cadet at boot camp.

Natalie took Chuck’s hand in hers, and held it, her grip starting faint, as she looked at his palm, looking it over. She seemed to be reading his whole being through his hand. Her thumb brushed across his palm, “You are a good man clearly. Strong, powerful, wise.” She hums and takes his hand in a classic hand shake style, “You are kind and caring too.”

She nods slowly again, then begins to squeeze, the grip tightening. Jamie where he’s holding a chair in front of him across the room watches. Swallowing loudly. Victor has edged closer “Lover, my Valkyrie, be gentle, he is a good man. He has the mind and the body and the soul to be good for our daughter.” Natalie turned and glared her husband down “It is my turn my love. You wait. I shall be with you shortly.” She turned back then to Chuck, her grip getting tighter, and watched him as if expecting him to begin to respond, her grip getting stronger and stronger, tighter and tighter. Victor might be a physical powerhouse, but Natalie is that and more, a weight behind her physically and mentally, “My daughter has a future, among a powerful community of governments and agencies. Will you support her? Without feeling lessened? Will you stand by her when she is at her lowest and when she is soaring beyond the clouds and even among the deepest voids of the future? She is not invincible. She is mortal though she is onto a young goddess, she has far to go and has room to grow, she needs a partner who will stand beside her, behind her or in front of her as the need arises.”

If Freya is a giant in intellect, Natalie is a giant in aura and sheer physical presence, like her husband. And like that her test for Chuck is physical more then anything. Where Jamie and Victor had tested him emotionally, Natalie’s test is more physical and mental. She waits and watches, “I want you to know I want only what’s best for my children, when Athena and Jamie are ready I may do a similar test for their partners, but you are first to reach the heart of one of my children, and i want to make sure you are good for her. This is personal and professional. I want to make sure this is right.”

Chuck stood there and watched as Natalie examined his hand. He carefully and gently wrapped his fingers around her hand. He didn’t give in to the need to play who can crush whose hand. He stiffened the muscles of his hand to make it rigid to help prevent her from pushing his bones against one another. That didn’t mean that she couldn’t but it would perhaps minimize the damage she could do. He used his hand to pull her closer before answering. He looked down into her eyes, just like Freya there was not far to go. “With all due respect ma'am, if I was looking for something casual I could have it. I warned Freya that I am playing for keeps. I am looking for a partner to walk through life with. Freya is beautiful, intelligent, independent, and deadly in her own right. I will always do my best to rise to the occasion to be what SHE needs. Freya doesn’t need me to walk beside her at all. She is an amazing woman. I am a man smart enough to see that. If I get to walk beside her, it will be her choice. I would never disrespect her by thinking she needs my protection, help, support, or advice. That doesn’t mean I won’t freely give it and do it anyway even if it annoys her. I will do it because I care about her.” He released her hand allowing her to step back.

Chuck gave her a momentary pause before he bowed respectfully to her. Just like in martial arts though, he kept his eyes on his opponent even as he rose back up from the bow. “I asked to meet with you and your family because I understand how important her family is to Freya. If I truly want to walk beside her, then I need to ensure that my presence is not going to cause issues between her and her family.” Chuck’s eyes softened and he gave Natalie a warm smile as he thought about Natalie meeting the grandmother he was named after. He couldn’t think of Charlie without smiling. He loved his spunky sassy outspoken grandmother. “I understand you want what is best for Freya. My grandmother would have my hide if I didn’t show my respect to Freya by asking for your permission to date your daughter. It is right that her family knows the measure of a man that will be important in her life.” He then continued to smile at her and waited. He was either about to die, be maimed horribly, or be given his marching orders.

Natalie smiles and then gives Chuck’s hand a firm, lively hand shake, “Good you are smart. And can likely keep up with our Thrud. My son and my husband have given you their blessing.” With a wide grin she nods, “I shall give you mine. Pursue my daughter. Make her happy. Help her, love her. And do not rush wooing her. For she will be ready when she chooses.”

She releases Chuck’s hand, spins and grabs Victor’s ear, “You! Come with me!” She points at Jamie who freezes like a prey animal in head lights, “You! You have a job to do here still. Do it.” And again at Chuck, “Well done young man. I hope to learn more of you in the future.” She then frog marches Victor towards the door, “You better have ordered me some steaks! Owner! Bill Blue Sword PMC for any expenses.” And off go the Elder Kanatariio’s out the door, to a waiting vehicle to take them out.

Jamie lets out a huff, “I think we dodged a bullet there Chuck, feel free to put in some orders to go. I think we’re safe now.”

Chuck just smiled back as Freya’s mother gave her blessing to him in one breath and was dragging her husband out the door as she barked orders at Jamie with the next. Chuck just saluted Natalie with a snappy “Yes Ma’am!” Meeting her was like meeting with a force of nature.

He waited till the door had closed behind them before turning to Jamie with an amused expression. “Jamie, remind me to never EVER piss off your mother. I was worried there for a moment.” He wiped away the tension sweat on his forehead. He turned to the amused looking older waitress and placed their orders to go. They left with several to go boxes in plastic bags as the helicopter took off from the small diner. It felt as if he had returned to the base at warp speed when it had taken a bit to get to the diner in the first place.

He had Jamie separated once they made it back to base. He took the bag with the shrimp entree that had been ordered for Freya. He planned to deliver it to her room with a note on top asking her out on a date. The note had his phone number on it.

He knocked on the door and waited for it to open. He handed her the box with a smile. “I talked to your family, my dear Freya. We have their blessing. Let me know where you would like to go on our first date.” He handed the meal over planning to just turn on his heel and leave. He would wait for her to contact him. He also needed a breather after the ferocious love of the Kanatariio family and he owed his dog some attention.

Freya had not been quite prepared to open her door, see her brother race by behind Chuck making for his room down the hall away from the two. She stared at Chuck and the shrimp dish then blushed, “Oh no what’d they do? Wait did they…they gave you, oh those…” Chuck pauses as she tugged on his jacket before he could step away. She takes a deep breath and grabs him by the collar before he can get far, placing a kiss on his cheek, “I’ll get in touch with you later. Go rest up, my parents really did a number didn’t they? I’ll get Jamie for this later. Go sweetie. We’ll talk later.”

Chuck smiled down at Freya and gave her a quick hug and a warm smile. "Darling we both know that the scariest member of your family is not your brother or father. It's your mother." He placed a quick kiss on her forehead. "I will be fine but I owe Duke some attention. I look forward to our talk. Enjoy your shrimp." He then walked off to find Tahlia and his dog.

She sighs and only after Chuck has left does she close her door and do a little happy giggle dance behind it. No chance anyone will see the big Battle Goddess do that in public.

Loading rounds into the magazines, Skye sat there with a meticulous look, the jacket shed and the blue-fleece wearing, blue jeans having Scot contemplative, quiet, on her own and keeping her thoughts internal. Her hair had been tucked into a gentle bun, auburn as ever, a strange choice that her father must have made. He must have known that gene made redheads. He must have. And to pair it with blue eyes? That explained a hell of a lot of weirdness.

Still, there was more to do.

Skye was not one to sit there and be idle. She had another test to run, since the light barely was out, and the hours were still passing by. Dinner had come and gone, a mixed affair given everyone was in and out of Sophie's, but not her. Not even whisky this time around. There was likely to be another job, soon, and she wanted to be ready for it. Even though the events of yesterday morning had hit, and the team had their day off, being seen by medical staff in various phases, now they were back out and on free time. Raph was the only one really back to work, but the others had been pretty drained by even Raven's standards, an operation that had gone all sorts of haywire.

So for Skye, it made sense to keep her knife sharp and her mind following that.

The new exo was back on, without a combat uniform, but it felt even more reactive, even more explosive in pace, like she could break into sprint harder. And with the AR headset on, a new toy, she was able to drill movement with it in the small, tiny little killzone that Camp Hannula had on site. With pre-programmed targets, she was able to use her training rounds loaded into her FNX, the .45 cal spitting pistol with its tactile grip and raised sights to clatter target after targets as part of a room raid. Turning around the corner, she used the overcharge to leap forwards and into a room with a skid, clattering two more with a slide through the floor, her red-hair pouring from her helmet messily given she hadn't bothered to tie it back up. A mag slid into the empty well as fast as it left, as she finished the course with three more targets, walking out, clearing up the mess, and with it, heading back to her next task at hand.

There's this air about Skye, that even though she had been involved in an op that had saved the world, she wasn't celebrating too soon. She had routine. Comfort was found in routine. It ensured you kept being invincible, kept you going. And the way that Skye seemed to be, doing cardio.

She hadn't done her usual mileage, she forgave herself given what had happened yesterday was still just about sinking in, but she was going to get time on the bike today. Set up in the gym of the base, and she was back to it, wearing her usual exercise shirt and tights to follow it, a crank below where she'd like but in line with the routine she wanted to follow. That cardio was interrupted by Athena, who came in, the giantess's more casual approach comprised of a now tight-fitting t-shirt that had clearly been outpaced by her arm days, a leather jacket, jeans that seemed to frankly be screaming at the amount of work they did to keep her back end in check, and her as usual, ridiculously large sneakers. For a girl that seemed to live in fashion, she seemed to be picking as bland as she could get away with.

Sighing, Skye stopped, clambering off, about done, not really intimidated by the sight of Athena, but of course, respecting the fact she was a full foot and a half taller.

"Hey, Skye, uhh....I never meant to say. Thanks." Athena's respect seemed earned, even by her brash standards, she had to give the Scot that.

"For the blimp?" Skye seemed almost a bit pointed, a little rude yes, but direct.

"Well, that and everything else. You're a crazy bitch, you know that?" Athena giggled, her ice breaking getting the same with Skye, as she shrugged.

"Part of the job. You too." Skye smiled, as Athena leaned against a wooden pillar in the wall, physically straining it almost like she was some herculean stress member of the building with her lean now. Skye seemed tight lipped, as she grabbed her t-shirt from earlier, and her jeans to go with, heading to a tap to wash her face, Athena the usual goddess she seemed to be just looking on stone faced.

"So, you always give the silent treatment to your team? Or, am I in the shit? Should I be scared?" Athena could tell Skye was a little in routine, but well, she couldn't help herself talking, the blonde just bored and curious at this point.

"You're seven and a half foot, and could mash me into a pulp. Athena, I guess I'm deep in thought." Skye seemed a little bit on edge, and Athena got that straight away.

"You seem to have been for a while. Look. I don't know you well enough to ask, but you ever thought that after this is done, you could find private work? I promise, the hours are better." Athena seemed to be selling it like a sales pitch. Shirt on, Skye chuckled, shaking her head.

"Honestly, I thought about it. But still no. It's not as simple as that, Athena." Skye replied, Athena shrugging.

"I think it is. We kicked a lot of ass together." The reply was expected, Skye lacing up her shoes on the bench next to her, looking across to the lady expecting response.

"I got into this because it was service. I suppose, to something greater than me. Athena, everyone loves you for who you are. I mean, look at you. Jesus, I'd have a poster of you on my wall if I was younger. Which, I guarantee someone does have somewhere." Skye chuckled, Athena's eyebrows immediately raised.

"But that doesn't mean I would want to be that. What do you add to all of this, exactly? All the attention, everything on you. A bunch of guys who'd drag their balls through a mile of glass to hear your voice through a tannoy. And you can smash, fuck shit up, on another scale, but this isn't just for me. Neither is a price to what I do." Skye didn't particularly care, adding to the list on one hand that might find Athena's presence not so intimidating, even though Athena seemed to be able to take one stride to close the distance, if she would have liked.

"Rude." Athena called back, Skye shrugging.

"You don't often get people telling you that, do you? And the people that do, you can often kick their ass." Skye replied, Athena nodding silently.

"You're pretty fucking cool, Ath. Like, I get it, you can be all of this. You're literally everything your sister said you were, and more. Capable as hell. But, I wouldn't convince you into this. I wouldn't want to. You do you, but that isn't something I can sign up to personally. You know, some people are keen on that. And that's a good thing. All eyes Athena, so none to me." Skye replied, forming a smile back.

"Nah, I get that. You like this life. But keep it in mind. You don't have to be the boss lady just in Raven, you know. Someone like you could point towards something a lot bigger. Just think about it, 'kay?" Athena replied, walking over, head turned as she headed out of the room.

"Oh, and Skye?" Athena caught Skye's look, as she put away the rest of her training gear.

"Yeah?"

"I'd probably say you were everything Freya said you were too. Glad we have you on our side."

"Appreciate that. I'm sure once this is done you'll be on Instagram again." Skye smirked, Athena nodding, breaking back into her energetic self.

"And you know it!"

---

Tahlia looked down at Duke, as the tech passed by with Duke frankly leading the man straight to Tahlia. If ever a dog had a sense of direction, Duke was it, and the Belgian Malinois had spent time on base with the techs, but particularly with Tahlia when not with Duke. And Tahlia had taken a liking to him. He reminded her of her Labrador back in the Otago farm, albeit with a jaw that wasn't made for recovering game, but for just gnawing away at anything it latched onto. A fierce boy, but, no less handsome.

"Hello there Duke!" Tahlia gently brushed him behind the ear, at this point, very accustomed to how he was about his business. He gave a gentle bark back, as the lightly blonde Kiwi gave him some attention, heading over towards where his bowl and his food were, on the hour, at the hour that he needed it.

"Now, I'll be honest." Duke seemed to give an inquisitive look, as the helicopter left, Tahlia looking down to him, talking to him. As if he was a person. Like he'd give a response, after he'd chowed down.

She must have been going crazy here.

"We somehow managed to save the world, and now, your owner, your dad is going to go find out if he can spend time with a very cute looking redhead. And if he can't, he is going to get his dick cut off. Yes, yes he is!" Tahlia added, leading him along with a subtle command, the obedient Belgian Shepherd following, as Tahlia rustled his hair again.

"You know how clever he is, and he won't answer you back."

"Fuck!" Tahlia nearly jumped out of her legs, as Purna chuckled, a wry smirk on the Nepali's face, gently brushing his hand over Duke, as if HE was just as surprised.

"You enjoying this?" Purna said stone faced, as Tahlia shrugged, Duke enquiring about Purna's ability to sneak up on a trained scout sniper, someone who regularly did the creeping more than Purna did. And how had Duke not realised he was coming? Dressed in a plaid shirt and cargo trousers, the pale-faced, shaven Nepali seemed to not really emanate right now some level of Sam Fisheresque stealth, but more some guy who just looked innocent enough.

"Yeah, time with Duke is always fun. Why the hell did you scare me like that?" Tahlia asked, Purna leaning against the wall, shrugging.

"Honestly, I always wanted to see if I could. Dogs are incredibly observant. But, there's things I heard might work on guards in particular. Like, carrying this around. It's a nullifier for scent, or basically, like a cloak for their senses. Outside of course, of noise and vibrations. Anyway, thought to check in on how you were doing. Duke might not listen. But I'm happy to, given this is your first serious operation back." Purna pulled the small brick, an innocent looking shard of grey.

"And me? Jesus Christ, Purna. Yeah. Yeah, all good." Tahlia replied, the two walking through the corridors, and heading outside, finding a bench, Duke in tow.

"I mean, it went alright. The operation happened, we got it done, my legs held out and we completed three serious assaults in the space of three hours. Sounds like a loose end with Skye's uhh.....well, many, many twin sisters. So yeah, we'll be busy."

"That we will. But, I thought to ask. Why did you come back to service?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. Or some shit like that. Sitting in an office isn't my idea of fun. I mean, killing people is miserable, shitty, horrible work. But...." Tahlia said, Purna recognising that tone.

"You snatch life from a mile away. And are good at it. And you know that. It helps the team, and somehow, you prefer it to being a desk warrior. Not many people like that. But I can tell from a mile away." Purna's response was quick, Tahlia unable to answer, as Purna provided another conversation piece.

Drawing the kukri, Purna swung it in his palm, passing it to Tahlia, and pointing to the hut.
"This is all my life was up till now. In there, there's someone who killed my brothers in arms, and has a knife just like it. These are incredibly ornate...more than that to us. And it was the first time I truly felt something. I felt this strange hate, Tahlia. Yet, a feeling that I respected the man too much to do anything to him. Like a greater good meant it pulled our fibers one way. Not another." Purna said, as Tahlia inspected it over.

"Perhaps he made me realise that the object of that hate, has something that keeps them going. Even when he seemingly doesn't inside. So, as someone good at this, what do you suggest, Tarly?" Purna seemed dethatched, as Tahlia shrugged, thinking about the scale of the question.

"It's hard. My dad was tortured in a Chinese prison when he was working with the CIA, and a few other groups at the time, and he wondered how he'd go back to reality after everything settled down after his work. And he told me, what got him over the line, was to accept it. Understand that we're people who want to affect the world around us normally, and we do through what we do. Yet sometimes, we need to let that part of us run. If the only justice in the world is the kind we make, then sometimes it's better to let it flow. Let him keep that knife, because it'll never bring anything, or anyone back. Or any honour. We've killed far too many people for that to be applicable. And, you're mindful enough to do that, Purna. Calm like a monk." Tahlia was serious and then a little jokey, knowing she'd get through to him. But was still curious why he would ask. "You know this. So why did you ask?"

"Because I suppose it's the first time I've not made that justice myself."

---

The arrival of Sam brought a smile to Skye's face, the question amongst the hubub getting caught, and getting a reply.

"Nothing much." Skye called back back, as Adam looked across, poking two sausages over the fire, pulling one off and putting them into a communal plate. The fire was life out here, keeping the cold at bay and crackling as the damp sometimes caught.

"How's your day been, Sam?" Skye asked, curious to hear it, the redhead sitting up and looking over, Adam and Athena making conversation, as they knew the others would soon be making their way across. Athena broke that bit of conversation, bringing in her own bit of gossip.

"Well, my brother, get this...." Athena started, telling the tale of what she'd heard on the grapevine from Jamie....and well, the laughs followed rather quick.

No surprises there, because Mama Kaantario was not a woman to be messed with.

Samantha was amused as she looked around the campfire. Adam was cooking some kind of hot dogs or brats and Skye was…. Roasting marshmallows? She was putting marshmallows on sticks. Sam wanted one but was barely holding herself upright. She was not sure about leaning forward to roast it. She had snagged one of the only chairs by the fire. Almost everyone else was sitting on logs and stumps. Sam would need the arms of the chair to make it back to her feet. She had literally just left the infirmary like 2 hours ago. She was clean and had a belly full of warm stew. Granted that had been a while ago. A nice roasted marshmallow would be a great dessert. She noticed that Tahlia had Duke and wondered where Chuck was. Sam grinned at Skye before replying.

Sam: “Oh I am surprised Sophie didn’t read you the riot act on how long it was going to take for me to recover and would you please stop bringing personnel back in pieces. You know the usual.” She gave Skye something close to her usual sass and snarky reply. “I spent most of the day in sedation while Sophie worked with all the marvels of modern medicine at her disposal to speed healing. I am still nursing bruised and broken ribs, I have synth flesh nanite patches working on the burns I sustained. I have been told small movements only, no big stretching yet. I still have a ways to go but thanks to you, I will heal.” She gave Skye the medical update that she had probably been avoiding if she knew Skye.

Samantha winked conspiratorially at Skye. “The highlight of my day was feeding myself and getting a shower felt like an accomplishment. That marshmallow looks tempting but I am not sure I can hold it outstretched long enough to roast it.”

Duke wandered over to her and sat next to her and placed his head gently on her uninjured thigh. She smiled and began to scratch him behind the ears. She looked around the fire once more and asked “Where’s Chuck and Freya?” She smiled if she wondered if both of them missing was a sign the lovesick giant had finally gotten up the nerve to ask Freya out. It felt like she had just asked about Chuck when Athena launched into telling them about Chuck’s meeting with Freya’s parents. Samantha managed to keep a smile on her face while Athena regaled the group with the tale. Her own thoughts drifted to her own experience as she hovered between life and death. She had come back like they wanted. She still felt that pain of leaving them all over again. She missed them all so much. She couldn’t help thinking how lucky her friend was to have so many people that cared about her. She was happy for Freya and Chuck was a great guy.

Samantha let the heat from the fire warm her and relax her. Duke was a warm weight on her uninjured leg. He grounded her in a way. A crackle from the fire drew her back to the present and out of her melancholy thoughts. She remembered that bad feeling she had that had persisted. It had lessened some but she still felt like the fight was not over. Not with Rose still out there. But here around the warmth of the fire. She kept those feelings to herself. She looked across the fire to meet Purna’s eyes. She held his eyes for a moment before turning to stare into the fire. She let the camaraderie wash over her as she allowed herself to just be. She was reserved and downright still for her. Typically Samantha struggled to sit still and fidgeted if she was in a meeting. It probably seemed odd to see her so still and quiet.

About that time Chuck appeared at the campfire. He sat down one of the larger logs next to Tahlia. Chuck gave the Kiwi a genuine smile. Chuck: “Good evening Tahlia. Thank you for taking care of Duke for me on short notice. I wasn’t sure I could take him with me.” Duke’s body had been taught with excited energy and his tail was wagging hard enough to create a breeze. He waited sitting next to Samantha until Chuck gave him some hand signal that released the dog. Duke pelted over to Chuck’s side almost knocking him off his log in his exuberance to lick his face and say hello.

Chuck just laughed and began petting and playing with Duke to satisfy his need to reassure himself that Chuck had come to no harm while he was away. Chuck rubbed him vigorously behind the ears. He had been carrying a plastic bag with take out in it with him. He laughed as Duke slobbered all over his chin. He let Duke have his way for a few minutes before he ordered him to sit. He pulled out the take out box and opened it revealing a steak cooked medium rare. He lowered the box to the ground and indicated Duke could have it. He barked happily and began to tear into the steak. Chuck just watched on fondly. He rubbed Duke’s head.

Chuck: “Sorry I had to leave you so abruptly Duke. It was for a good cause though. I hope you were a good boy while I was gone.” He knew Duke wouldn’t get into any serious trouble without good reason. It was just that he was so big and strong that mischief could be very costly.

Chuck looked around at the others with a smile.He started to ask what they were talking about but then he noticed Athena’s wicked grin.

Chuck: “Well I would ask what everyone was talking about but I think I can guess.” He raised an eyebrow at Athena.

There's a right odd situation in the base halls. Many of the staff gathering in small groups.

Snippets of chatter.

"Hey you hear? The man is in a good mood for once."

"Yeah man, I hear he's even wearing like part of his paint! And he's smiling."

More besides.

"Yo yo yo! You gotta hurry! The man is in the kitchen! He's kitted up and he's ready to do work!"

Several of the staff go stomping.

To arrive in the kitchen and dining room. No less then thirty maybe more of the staff gathered. As Ban, in a chefs outfit, his forehead tied over with a cord of braided silk. He spins in place, as a trio of the staff stack onions, leeks and potatoes. Several stacks of cabbage as well. At the same time Ban spins another of the base soldiers examines the Kingo blade closely, running a cleaning towel over it and a edge stone over it as well.

Another of the staff call out, "So what are you going to do this time Ban-san? Pork? Chicken? Beef?" Ban hums and stops spinning looking a little dizzy. He staggers abit catching himself on the counter, "Ahhh, yosh Jeremy-san, I don't go into moments like this with expectations. Tony-san and Craig-dono are the ones who picked out today's protein. I shall merely put my skills as a blademaster and a chef to the test to make for you, the best food I can."

The soldier with the blade nods, and tosses it to Ban, "It checks out, it's clean. Show us your stuff Kingo-sama. I was off shift when you were last here I missed your cooking. I want to see now." Ban snatches the blade out of the air by the handle. Turning it in a slow circle, twirling it. "Ahhh Hector-dono, I shall do my best to make us a meal of excellence! Yosh, let us heat the stove!" With a flourish he reaches down to his side and flips on all eight burners on the stove. And he comically jumps back, as flames shoot high, "Yoooo! Little too much!" And he turns the burners down.

this gets a round of laughter around the group, and a raise of cans or bottles of chosen libations. Ban huffs and motions to the side, where some of his friends have glasses of sake laid out already, "Here, if a man must perform and cook he must be properly marinated...or is that the meat? Ahhh no matter!" He quaffs back a cup of sake with a hiss, "Ahhh it burns!" Which gets another cheer.

Two soldiers come out with a flourish, one a tall dark haired asian fellow, while the other is a heavy and broad shouldered norse fellow. They set trays out. One speaking, "And we bring you, the meat of the issue!" They pull aside the covers and pose like The Chairman from Iron Chef, the second of the two shouting, "Bass and Pork!" The tray leaden down with fillets of bass fish, as well as bass steak cuts. And on the other, pork in various cuts. Roasts and chops and cutlets and medallions. Ban hums and looking the meat over, "My my, yes this will do. But first." He takes a step back, and with a motion that can barely be seen, the Kingo blade flashes out, and slashes and cuts. And the stacks of veggies fall, ready to be used in the cooking.

And the cooking begins.

With a flourish and a set of the best of Ginsu blades, Ban begins to work his craft. His blades flash, cutting, and flaring. Spices and sauces rain and flash. And for the first time since he arrived with Skye, he actually looks happy. The lone yakuza ronin, who until recently had family and lost the last one he has contact with, actually shows a small amount of joy.

Meat in the pans sizzle, a pot fille to the brim with stock bubbles as ingredients and spices fly. A rice cooker burbles, noodles boil, vegetables sizzle and cook.

This is the work of a virtuoso.

The scent fills the building. And the soldiers there to partake cheer the man on. Drinks are raised. Cheer sections break out. Even a good natured division between those who want fish or those who wish for pork on their plates breaks out. And Ban gets into it, weaving his knifes like a conductors baton sparking good natured cheers and light debate over which section seems to be turning out better.

The scent of a good meal wafting out over the base. And for a moment, the Yakuza feels like a normal human being for a time.

Samantha had not really had much chance to meet Ban or get to know him at all. She knew there had to be more to him than met the eye or he wouldn’t be working with Skye. Samantha was curious about him. She knew he was Japanese and Yakuza if rumors around the base were to be believed. Samantha was still mending from her battle on the blimp. She was still moving stiffly and nursing some really tender ribs. She had heard that Ban was going to be cooking and that it would be an amazing show. She was curious so she made her way into the kitchen.

She arrives to find quite the crowd hovering in the dining room watching the kitchen in the open concept area. The only thing separating the chef from his crowd was a long wide kitchen island and the stove. There was a range hood above with pots and pans hanging down. Samantha was shorter than most of the team and quite petite at only 5 feet 4 inches tall. She carefully made her way forward so she could see what was going on. All she could see from the back were the back of people’s heads. She tried to go around to one side instead of pushing through the tight crowd. She pushed in around one end and took an elbow to the chest. She cried out in pain and doubled over. The soldier standing there looked surprised and quickly turned to check on her.

“I am so sorry. I didn’t see you standing there. Are you okay?” The man held her elbow like she was about to fall over which was probably fair considering she was reeling. He was hovering anxiously.

Samantha swore in three different languages as she tried to get a handle on the pain. The elbow to her midsection hit a particularly painful bruise. Samantha slowly began to straighten back up. She was gritting her teeth hard. She finally managed to suck in a deep breath. “I will be okay. You just happened to hit an injury.”

“I am so sorry. Here you can stand in front of me. I can see why you were trying to move to the front. You are tiny!” The soldier was tall and muscular like most of the men around here. He had at least 6 inches of height on her and probably 100 pounds of muscle.

Samantha started to thank him for allowing her to move in front of him but then he had to pull the height card. The look on his face was that typical male attitude that a small petite woman could not be a threat to them due to their size. At least that is how Samantha chose to interpret it. Maybe she was moody from almost dying, being in pain, or just hangry. Whatever the cause, the soldier didn't know what he started. Samantha narrowed her eyes at the man and glared at him. She wasn’t feeling up too much and if she tore those skin grafts Sophie would have her hide. She smiled sweetly at him. Anyone who knew her would know that was a warning sign that trouble was going to follow. They had attracted the attention of the men around them. While there were some women in the crowd as well, it was mostly men around Sam. The man smiled back at her with a glint in his eyes.

Samantha's voice dripped in an overly sweet tone as she replied. “That would be awfully kind of you.”

Samantha stepped forward as if she was going to move past him. She grabbed his wrist at a pressure point and applied the necessary pressure. The soldier dropped to his knees in excruciating pain and froze in place. He cried out in pain as his knees hit the floor. “Especially considering that you clumsily elbowed me hard enough to reopen an injury. You clumsy ox! You know a gentleman would have spotted me sooner and offered to do it anyway.”

The soldier was wincing in pain and on his knees. His wrist in Samantha’s grasp. The soldiers around them just laughed. Samantha leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “Never believe that just because I am smaller than you, that I can’t kick your ass.” She released the man’s wrist in disgust and took a step past him so she could see what was happening.

The soldier grunted as she had dropped his wrist and stepped past him. The man regained his feet and moved back behind her a few people. She could hear the comments and snickering around her. She heard him ask one of his buddies. “Who is she?” His buddy was still laughing at him. “You don’t know?” His buddy sounded frustrated. “I wouldn’t have asked if I did.” His buddy laughed even harder. “Samantha Dalton.” She heard him ask "Who?" Then his buddy laughed even harder. “Oh man no wonder you got your ass handed to you. That is Samanatha Dalton, AKA Sam Dalton, AKA Raven Squad member, callsign Chaos.” Samantha was amused as she heard his response. “That’s Chaos? I thought Chaos was a man.” She was more amused as his buddy informed him he was an idiot. She giggled as the man next to him informed him “And rumor has it, that she is recovering from almost dying on their last op. She got electrocuted and has broken ribs. She still managed to immobilize you and barely lifted a pinky to do it. Think about that before you insult her again.”

Samantha put a supportive arm across her ribs. She didn’t need any blows to that area. She finally managed to put her attention on what was happening in front of her. There was Ban wearing a chef’s outfit with piles of cut up vegetables on the counter next to a stovetop with 8 burners on. He was sharpening a Kingo Blade. She watched as he answered questions from his audience. Ban looked relaxed like he was having a good time as he tossed back a sake before inspecting the meat that had been brought to him.

Samantha began to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot trying to ease the pressure in her chest. The blow to her midsection had really jarred her ribs and the healing bruises on her chest. She did not want to leave. She had been spending enough time alone. She needed a distraction from her thoughts. She kept replaying what had happened to her as Skye was trying to save her life. She kept reliving what it had felt like to leave her loved ones behind again. She almost wished she had stayed with them. She felt the pain of their loss all over again. She really missed them. She couldn't help but think about the few people she had left in this life, Kameko. She now had team members that made up found family, Skye and Freya. Watching Ban cook was a good distraction. Samantha had to admire his bladework. He knew how to use that whetstone and proper blade maintenance. He knew what he was doing. She knew that those moves didn’t come from cooking alone. She saw the artistry, grace, and confidence that came not just from practice alone but from training. She saw the foundation of some kind of blade style martial arts maybe.

Samantha did her best to breathe deeply but the pain in her chest stopped that. The scents wafting her way told her that Ban was cooking a masterpiece. She loved Asian food. Samantha's smile was genuine for the first time in a while. For the first time since she returned to base her thoughts were not on almost dying. The friendly atmosphere and rivalry between the fish and pork contingents had her laughing. She cheered for Ban every time not taking a side. She waited to approach him till he had begun to serve food up. She waited till the crush was gone so she didn’t get trampled again. It was not that hard to do since she was way off to one side.

She approached after most of the others had taken their plates and left to eat. She smiled as she approached Ban.

“Hello Ban. It smells amazing. I think we were introduced quickly when Skye returned. I just wanted to once again welcome you back to Raven Squad. In case you forgot I am Samantha Dalton, Chaos. Most of the team calls me by my nickname Sam. I would like to try a little pork and a little fish if you have any left. It looks so good.”