[h1][color=RosyBrown]Adam Stanislaw Kajtanowicz[/color][/h1] [h1][color=Goldenrod]Athena Anna Kanataario[/color][/h1] [h1][color=Chocolate]Purna Chai Gurung[/color][/h1] [h1][color=Honeydew]Antti Järvinen[/color][/h1] [h2]Camp Hannula, Pöyrisjärvi National Park, Finland[/h2] [h2]1100 Local Time[/h2] [h2]Sharing Blood[/h2] With the briefing done, Adam was back in office. Thoughts ran through his head. A lot of messy ones. What the fuck was going on with Rose? Or Skye? Or in fact, what was the target? This man, even if they found him, how would he help? He didn't really get all of it. But answers would come soon enough. He finished on that note, and went out to grab breakfast. Due to being a bigger base, there was a main barrack a short walk away that served food, and with Blue Sword here, and he headed off. Purna had joined him, but Ebrima wasn't anywhere to be seen. Probably being careful. There was a lot of weight on his mind, but it was what he had trained for. Back into the feel of it, and the weight of Sam's and his conversation bore heavy. There were serious questions, and Oracle was finding out more. No doubt he would call through when more intel followed. [hr] The whole family had descended upon Freya. But, in time, Athena and Natalie were alone by her side, after Victor had reared his head. Freya, in her navy and yellow full body thermal tights, a cut down her neck and her arms bare was contrasted by Natalie Denisova Kaantario, a woman of about 7"2, and in spite of being mother and daughter, were not much separated when you squinted. There isn't much to say that Athena doesn't take after her mother closely. Even though Natalie was clearly not the same woman she'd been in youth, there was this....right, how do you say, Pixar mom levels of appearance. In tights and a red wool fleece of her own, and a distinctly Russian feel to her, blonde hair, and two of her three children here, Natalie felt like she was somewhat trusting, yet now, had less kind things to say. The cold barely fazed her, she was one hard mother, who certainly had taught her offspring the way to succeed in keeping the family business going. "So you swing a hammer, physics happen. I thought you had a PhD? You are a clever girl, no?" Natalie said, looking at the arm, sighing, joking and smiling, knowing they'd spent enough time to know each other. Mother and daughters, what a combo that was. Even if Freya was more her father's side, well, Natalie was a mum to both. "It will heal, my sweet. I remember having a gigantic piece of metal sticking out of me. And your husband bawling while they transfused blood into me, and how I cried out while they did. We are hard to kill, Freya. You will be in good care, darling. And fighting again soon." Natalie added, smiling, sitting by her daughter's side, Athena quiet for a moment, as Natalie looked over to her walking daughter, the blonde rather than the crimson red, serious and dead strong in her look at her daughter. "Athena, my child you know, it is not an easy thing what me and your father did. Or Freya does. Fighting this evil, and it seems to never die....and it sounds like the threat Oracle has briefed on is worse. But you need to be responsible, more than ever." Natalie said, a firm arm on her daughter's shoulder, Athena nodding, with a cold sigh. Natalia's Russian accent was still ever present, a husky, underlain tone that perfectly complemented her rotund feature now, her hairs blonde with strands of grey and her body fighting wrinkles yet still, respectable. Muscle had turned to fat, but well, Natalie could probably still throw someone like a lawndart, she was just turning more into a Babushka, on the nearer side of fifty. Children early on had been a boon, somewhat. Aging like a fine wine, even, for a woman of her size and stature. To have children at all was told to be impossible to her, but she made it happen. Like everything else her and her husband did. "I am being responsible. Got the team here. Did what I do. Contacted the other branches. I'm doing my job, Mama." Athena replied, as Natalie shook her head, leading away from Freya, heading down the hallway, the two on level towering above others. "Athie-anna, listen. The world is counting on us. On you. Go. I'll look after Freya. She'll be okay in a week or so, with a lot of painkillers. You need to do your job. Don't let her change your feelings. I know how it is, but even you will lose your strength over it someday. You need to focus. Do what is needed to save the world. Use your friends, the force we have here and do what needs to be achieved. But do not lose sight of your own self. Yes?" Natalie said with a reassuring tone, Athena nodding. "I will, Mama. I never let you down." Natalie smiled in response to Athena, hugging her in the hallway, reaching up to her own daughter. "I did not raise my children to ever quit. You go. Make us proud." Natalie replied in her usual Russian, a smile on her face forming, as Athena looked back. "I will. Promise." A genuine piece of affection came back from Athena, ever the Momma's Girl, and well, she had her bit to play in this. A reminder perhaps, from old to new. [hr] After spending time with Freya, Athena knew it was back to the regime. Back to the team. She tried not to take in the look of Chuck, running as magnificent as he was on the fenceline of the base. Athena could see through that body. There was a chiseled, manly marine beneath that. She almost got a little tense at the sight of him, but on the run, very much resisting all of it. How had she never really seen him as the cutie he was? He was older, but....with a rack of ribs like that, she would grill on that any day of the week. It had been far too long before Athena had gotten some real fun, she thought again to herself. There was work to do. Hotties could wait. World to save, physique to mould, weights to lift, Tesla coils to fry motherfuckers with, spreadsheets to confirm. All in the day of the life. She went past the armoury, where his armour had been now delivered, as well as hers, sitting in the rack clean as ever. All geared, readied, and prepped. None of Jamie's though yet, which was weird. Not sure where he was. Heading to the gym, the heavies gym in Hannula was as well equipped as the one back at home. Full with strongman type weights, the kind of gym that didn't just have barbells and cycle machines, but gigantic bags of bricks, concrete, it felt like a building site with big heavy things designed to push even the biggest of muscles to ripple. Stripping her thermals, beneath Athena just had a slick grey and yellow bra, and the tights stayed where they were, revealing her bronzed, toned skin. And it was on for one nice session of doing what any self respecting heavy did best. Lifting heavy shit. Athena is a party girl. Always likes to be in the scene of things, her socials every day automatically posting another raunchy picture, a military picture, a boss girl picture, or another one of her doing something else ridiculous, automatic of course right now given the base was a phone and social media deadzone because....well, nobody needed to explain that. But well, work happened intensely that she ran through meetings with logistics teams and various contractors, yet keeping her body from collapsing in on itself like a black hole was another. Muscle straight up stopped gigantism from swallowing her whole, and her heart needed to hit a minimum threshold to keep at a nice rhythm. For someone self-absorbed like she was, she was no less disciplined, no less fearsome, no. Hand on heart, she felt her other side of her chest gently thrump as she warmed up, stretching. Music on, and well, she was in her moment. For such a rich white blonde girl, she liked her grime and drum and bass something chronic, but in some ways, that just fit the picture of the internationally raised girl with time in London, Paris and beyond. And fuck, it got her going, as she clicked her hands, at full stretch, occupying plenty of space. It's straight up blasting, and not some cinematic tone, or something else. It's just fucking dirty, flowing riddim. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_DZ5o2VdUE]P Money x Whiney- Sorry Not Sorry[/url] There's a certain finesse to it as she's pumping iron. She's hurling weights up onto shoulder and pumping, the size of it something that looked like it weighed about. Moving from that fast, a concrete ball, a deadlift carry, and then a full on pump onto her shoulder, following that and a lob into a net, then a bag of concrete, helped up onto her rather bold chest, and then, squats and pushing a large metal weight over a resistance, yelping as she did, screaming even but pushing what should have been to most mortal beings, an object a forklift might not like. There's a lot of it, her arms gently getting into rhythm, before then heading back over to a resistance band, stretching, pushing and straining. But it keeps going, and going. Today was power day, not cardio. And that meant doing more weights, from dumbbells to a bench, where she seemed to be lifting what would be easily be considered to most people an irresponsible amount of it. As her heart pumped, she went harder, and harder. Out of breath, and with the feeling rushing through her body, she felt like she always did with this. Like she wanted to just tear shit up, but only when she could feel the lactic acid burn fade out of her muscles first, sweat gushing every part of her. So before she stank out the place, she got moving quickly, and headed for a shower. Following that, her lipstick back on and her hair pulled back neat again, Athena was back out of the gym and back to business, dressed in a different full body tights set. Coloured in a dark gray and with a yellow highlight, comprised of a vest that left her arms bare but her core covered, it was equal parts boss-girl, equal parts fashion considering the desginer vibe. Practically, she should have worn a two piece, but well, this was far more her vibe, an 80s look for the very cutting edge, off it sometimes. And just as toasty, but her warm wet skin was cooking it off faster than most through a metabolism that was making her so bouncy and vivid it felt all fuzzy and and lovely. The feeling that came from that endorphin rush was like being on steroids, but having a 100%, Fairtrade, all natural, all wired up pump that just felt goooooood. Via the armoury, quickly.....wait, where Chuck now was. Oh, he looked dashing. It would be rude not to introduce, she thought to herself. Even in the delirium she was in. "Hey there....so, what piece of marble did they cut you out of? You're Chuck, Chuck Simmons, right? Boomer by name, Boomer by nature." Athena enquired, walking across, smiling a white-pearl grin offering a handshake. "Athena Kaantario, Valkyrie. Freya's sis. She's probably told you all about me. All sorts of shit, I bet....trust me, it's all true. #AthenaAwesome and everything, at your service." Athena added, grinning and very excited, laughing heartily as she walked across to his armour, and saw Duke ponder across the room, Athena stunned and frozen. If there was ever a moment where the extravert could squeal, it was now. "Heyyyy! Oh, and who are you!" She yelped, seeing him woof, a little hesitant. He really didn't read well in natural body language, not that he didn't like her, but well, she was someone just as huge as his owner. Athena called it early and bent over as low as she could go, Duke still a little unsettled as she put out her hand, and rustled back his ears, Duke still a little uneasy. Athena naturally exerted a nervous energy of her own, the kind that looked like she wanted to just go relish in that feeling. "It's okay, baby. Aww, you're so, so cute. And handsome, yes, you are!" She melted instantly, looking up at Chuck too, as she sighed, rolling her eyes in delight. "You two. Jesus, my hearts are melting. You gotta stop this, 'cos you are doing something to me. Somethin....gooooood!" Athena stood back up again with a giggling grin, barely containing it, looking over Chuck's armour, racked up right next to hers, looking it over, as she would originally. Her accent was just polarising, that mix of French, English, American, Australian and even a tinge of Russian. It made no sense, but pulled together all over the place and husked plenty. "So. We should totally work out together. I went in the gym for us, and it is stacked. Weights, everything, I know, we stocked it but it turned out better than I thought. And out there....oh we'd tear so much shit up. I suppose you'll work with my brother. But he is no fun. Seriously. But....Adam says what he prefers me to do, so here we are." Athena sighed, feeling the plate, before moving onto her own, checking a few points of adjustment, though her gaze was locked onto him like a hawk tracking prey, albeit now just savouring. But, she let him in a little. "Sorry for being mad earlier. Just....my sis means a lot. I know it wasn't you. Just doing your job, I know, but it's difficult to see her. And I kinda you know, did my thing. I guess." Athena added, walking around it, checking her own suit over still, but distracted still. Shit, he was a vision to her, but probably a fellow heavy to go blow shit up with, and well, that was all the fun. "So, my sister's into her energy weapons. I'm more electricity, you know? Tesla coils. Fries anything it hits, like that static smell, it's got this cool char to it. If you fancy some upgrades, I know there's stuff inbound we can fit. Soup your kit up. If you're feeling the need for some heat?" Athena chuckled, giggling at her own silliness, which was now, just bounding like a trampoline. Athena was a little teasing, maybe holding back a little bit of fluttering at what she could obviously see through his t-shirt. Post workout lunacy was hitting like the seratonin pumping through her, and making her even more talkative and....well, her, than usual. The other side effect of having another heart was having an adrenaline gland that basically just kept the taps open meant she was basically riding a high that put her in a really clear, vivid frame of mind. Awesome for work, dealing with shit on the battlefield, or anything else, but here....awkward? [hr] Antti, on the other hand was carrying a Sako-TRG sniper rifle, flanked by a Kiwi with her titanium-clacked legs in the wooden hut, the two keeping busy at work. "Okay. So you want something else." Antti turned to her, the look of Tahlia a little frustrated, wanting a bit more connection. She may have been a bit direct, but fuck, Antti was something else. A real quiet bastard, and hard to get anything out of at all. "Come on, Antti. I know I've been here only a couple of hours, but don't just have me sitting about and occasionally driving stuff about. Let me help you out with something at least. Christ, I need my head off this mess the team are in." Tahlia replied, Antti nodding, calm and unassuming as ever, as inspiration struck the grey-haired Finn. "You are a farmer? A gamekeeper, I was told?" Antti replied, stoic as ever, Tahlia looking at him. She didn't like being underestimated, the adjustment, the fact they were looking at her, and wasn't able to do as much, it felt a bit shitty. But Antti, well, much as he was cold like the ice, was at least decent. "Yeah, South Island, New Zealand. Killed my fair share of deer." Tahlia replied, Antti looking at her, then outside, then back, a straight look between the two. StoicFest was in full swing here, but even Tahlia couldn't hold it up to the Finnish winner for probably the last 48 years. "Ok. Then you have a job. Feeding five giants, and the Raven team tonight. Something other than rations. That means seven reindeer, which you cut from here.....to here. You have five hours before the light dies, and six before dinnertime." Antti replied, pointing to the rifle and the section in the air between the bottom of the head to the hind legs, and nothing else, then back at Tahlia again. "Well, have you at least got a Quad I can borrow?" "You are capable of running a base, no? Figure that out. Then, we shall talk, first, do. I have Blue Sword to look after. You have your team. Let us see." Antti was cryptic as ever, but then again, perfectly understandable. Antti left the rifle and ten rounds in magazine on the table. A little test, see if she really was all that. Tahlia wasn't cocky, but well, doing this alone might not be such a great move, she thought to herself. Picking her phone, she keyed it in, bringing up Chuck's personal line. There would be couple of quad bikes, there would likely be someplace to go into the forest to find reindeer, and more likely, there would be an opportunity to get to work. She couldn't sit here any longer. After all the shit that went down, keeping occupied felt better than sitting and wallowing in thought. Antti shared the same sentiment, as he headed out, whistling a folk tune, onto his next job. "Hey, Chuck. You alright lugging some fat reindeer and fighting bears, just in case? Thought you may want a workout that might keep you off Athena for a bit. Wait. Don't reply if she's there, she just went in. I think." Tahlia commented, a sly chuckle, knowing him...well, actually, Tahlia had no idea where she was. So.... Probably yes? The moment however, was interrupted as another fellow replaced Antti in the room when she put the phone down. "Wait....what?" She said, looking in dead-set disbelief, then connecting the dots. Oh yeah, of course, Blue Sword were here. And he'd visited. Especially now. The hurt that filled went out quickly, because dad was here. "You really forgot this face?" Andrew called, Tahlia smiling and with it, ran over and lept into her father's arms, hugging the older man, grinning. It was good to see him again, the figure one she'd spent time with on the farm, but well, outside of his occasional consultancy work in Blue Sword, not spent as much time with these days. "Dad! You came out all the way here? You seriously didn't have to." Tahlia replied, Andrew chuckling. "Well, you have reindeer to hunt. Antti's a good shot. But he's set you a task alright. Now, whoever Chuck is, you need to introduce me to him." "Dad, he's not..." "He's a seven and a half foot giant who'll protect you. I get it. You think he's cute." "Dad...." "Alright, alright, I'm kidding. Now come on. Grab that rifle, I'll drive the quad, you shoot, and he'll haul. Like old times." Andrew said, Tahlia shrugging her shoulders, nodding with gleeful excitement. "Aww, thanks heaps." And with it, she jogged across and took the rifle, checked the magazine and the hunting rounds, and bounded outside. [hr] [h2]1200 Local Time[/h2] [h2]Raven's Rock, Camp Hannula[/h2] [h2]Happy Campers[/h2] "So, are you okay there?" Adam looked across to Jamie, waving his hand in front of his face, sitting in the room, armoured yet sipping on juice. The pine floor was hurting under the weight of his armour. The sight quite something, because Jamie's armour is basically occupying a lot of the centre of the room between couches and carpet, titanic in its size, black and akin to Freya's, if not a little more angled and brutal. Raven's Rock, as the main common room and quarters for Raven Squad came to be termed by a few of the Blue Sword team on site stuck, given the grey and brown wooden structure they seemed to hide under. With it, Purna sighed, looking across the room at Jamie, then Adam, who had just come back into the room. "He's been here for about ten minutes. He is being mindful. It's a common exercise to find peace, spirituality....inner calm. In his religion or mine." Purna replied with his own thoughts from his poorly practiced Hinduism, in reflection of Jamie's own that were known to few, but known to Purna in regards to his father's Mohican heritage. The insightful Nepali as ever, was contrasted by Adam. Purna leaned on optimism, Adam on fatalism. "Well, my chakra will be broken when he's going to fall through the floor. Come on, Jamie. Go get that hung up, and the fifties, and grab yourself some coffee." Adam added, before he could respond, Athena following, the creaking footsteps and the blonde ducking under the even relatively tall doorframe, coming in, hands on hips, sighing at the sight of it. She walked over and kept talking, offering Jamie a hand. "He does do this a lot. JamJam. I know there's lots of people and right now you'd rather be out there. But you're like a bear in a bookstore here." Athena called to him, looking across, the rest of team also there as she walked on in, Ebrima and Sam namely appearing. Athena looked across to Adam, and Purna, the two a contrast as far as they could be, the blonde warmer perhaps, given she'd at least benched most of what she needed to out of her system. And the adrenaline had faded, as she was now just spread across a sofa, occupying all of it, looking at the snowy trees outside before looking back at the team, specifically, Adam. Her flowy blonde hair touched the floor, as she leaned back, still a little oversized even for their own base. "So. Blue Sword are here. Mom and Pops are going to look around, fix their bits. And Oracle has calmed down. While you have your answers. Right, Adam?" Athena asked, as he shrugged, nodding as he looked around the room. "I suppose so, Ath. But we're still in the shit. We have no data, we're relying on historic records, and well, waiting. The team in signals is working on leads. Tricky when starting from scratch." Adam sighed, Athena putting hands on face, leaning in to cut the height disadvantage. "So whilst we sit here, Rose is out there. My men are itching to see what we can do." Athena retorted, Adam nodding in turn, shrugging. "We are. But that is fine. We will get to work soon enough. You and your teams need to send me your equipment load. My group, same as well. There are upgrades incoming. I suggest you consider what your loadouts are, equip the upgrades from the Blue Sword warehouse down there, and equip for an interdiction. We may have a target coming up, and we need to secure them, before Artemis can get their hands on them. Details are scarce, but I'd say be ready for a fight against a variety of threats." Adam commented, Purna nodding, Athena too before realising there were a couple of missing people. "Where's Chuck?" Athena asked, as Adam shrugged. "That is a very good question." --- Across the room, Purna took a seat next to Ebrima, looking over at him, and knowing the unnerving nature that Ebrima had still looked a little more on edge despite it. Purna seemed to almost look timid and being so short compartively, until you noticed the sharpness in his eyes. It was unassuming, but it was a false sense of security. He could read Boaro well, it was his job after all, mercenaries worked the same. They would have killed each other in the field. But here they were. "So. That story of how you got it? No need." Purna said, looking him over, and leaning into him, whispered in his ear. "Here's how it'll go. When we are done after Rose is dead, you are going to return that Kukuri to me, and you will find another trophy. Maybe Skye's ear, or something. I saw that blade. That's Sergeant Anish Rai's, engraving gives it away. He was a good man. You must have fought him very hard to get it. We are all part of Raven, and the past is past, me and you both. But I now know the circumstances Raphael knew your old boss. And when blood spilt, you picked the wrong man. So use it honourably, and if you lose it, you'll lose something else." Purna started, knowing he was out of earshot, and well, a ghost. He could talk quiet, and his tone was exceptionally soft, no harshness to it at all, but an underlying threat. "So, we've had that talk. We have had ours. Understood?" Purna whispered, patting him on the shoulder with a velvet touch, looking across as he reached under the table, and dragged his bag out, pulling out a couple of boxes of what appeared to be red boxes. "Oh, nearly forgot. I got us some chocolate. I got this in Switzerland on our layover. I'm not a fan, but I thought you might appreciate something given how far out we are." Purna asked, opening up the first, offering it to the team, and Ebrima too. There's almost this incredible moment where Purna just went from making the coldest threat he could ever make to someone, a deep, dark place of honour and trust in his brothers in arms, to like that, flicking the light out and reminding himself irrespective of whatever it was, Raven was a team- he may have been a loner but he never forgot his family in the team. Yet it was a message. Purna would work with Boaro, he would more than do his duty, he could follow orders and follow that. But if it was not said now, it would be said in the heat of the moment, and he would not be so sure he would have the same level of restraint. He had put it clear. He would let Boaro dictate his path. For now, chocolate. "Purna, before lunch? Really?" Adam asked, as before he could reply, Athena barrelled past. "Ohhhh, chocolate! Yes Purna, you legend! Fucking love you!" Athena yelled back, and well, ran straight into Purna. The look of "I fucking know what you did", dissiminated with Athena practically barrelling the man off the sofa and straight into her chest. Raven was properly weird. But there was doubt even amongst the fractured team, they could at least enjoy the moment they had in the calm after, and before the storms.