Ban slowly stood up from where he and Thalia had taken down the platoons moving up the hill. HE grits his teeth and thumps his torso just above his wound. Wincing, "Ah...balls...Ancestors...i'm getting..."
He spun the rifle slung at his hip, his hand going for his sword, his usual go too. In the distance an explosion, a few of them actually. And then what looks like a rocket sailing into the air. He follows it, "Thalia! It's coming this way!" The pair track it, and as it comes crashing down they both run over to it. In time for the safety shield to burst off. Thalia gets to the rotund woman first knocking her over.
Laura...
She manages to get free but is still when a long blade settles on her shoulder, the edge of the Naginata he quickly put together rests on her shoulder, the edge kissing her neck lightly, "Laura-san, I suggest you stay put." He circles around in front of her, his hands holding the haft of the polearm expertly, "I think we and the rest of Raven have something to talk about with you, if you would be so kind?" Laura looked at Tahlia then Ban then down at the haft of the polearm, it's blade kissing her neck.
Ban's eyes narrow, his hand shifting just abit, a small red nick, not deep, but draws blood.
She gulps and nods, "Good...I know you're friends with Frigga-Hakase, and she would not want to see you dead. Without an explanation." He gently lifts her by sheer presense of the blade at her neck, "Walk please...and we will talk later."
The journey to reach the others began.
Before the RideFreya was stripping out of her armor, with the help of Jamie and Chuck, a little anyway when it came to Chuck, the man got impaled. He needs a break, but she's not going to say no to her boyfriend wanting to strip her.
She's stepping free of her suit, and setting a few hold out weapons to her body glove when Ban and Thalia come in.
She stops and watches. Why? Because Ban has his Naginata jsut short of Laura's spine. Freya narrows his eyes, then walks over, grabbing Laura by the throat in one big hand, the strain of Freya's muscles as she half lifts Laura off the ground with one arm is spectacular. She glares at the rotund woman, "I ought to tie you up, gag you, blind you and leave you out here...but I think you'd like that." She sighs, "Laura...we have alot to talk about...no don't..." She can see when Laura starts to try and talk, "My boyfriend got hurt, I'm going to space...with my friends and family. You stay here. Sit...stay..." She turns to go and help the others.
Jamie stepping up, "Good girl." He growls, "I'll watch her sis."
Vulpine Space Command Centre, Île de la Tempête, Reunion
Freya Kantaario and
Athena Kantaario
"Sis, this is fucking insane, I mean...this must be something you were dreaming of, right? Always dreamed of being an astronaut when you were little, and I guess you got it?" Athena chuckled, asking her, the golden retriever not entirely leaving her, as she looked her up and down, smile still etched on.
"We got this. Battering fucking ram. Save the world. Get home. Then we gotta talk about finding JamJam someone to love too, right?" Athena kept it light, in spite of just how insane the stakes were, beyond the two mechs on fire still in the launch pad opposite their rocket, and the absolute carnage that looked like an army had run through here, instead of just a dozen highly trained black-ops, special forces degenerates.Before anything Freya had spent a second or two checking Chuck over, to say she’d been mothering is an understatement. She’d kissed him, held him, hugged him, kissed him again, and if it weren’t for the team being right there Athena and Jamie think she would have given him something to remember her by but alas too many eyes.
Now she stuffs into the shuttle, sitting beside Athena. She grins, “Honestly sis, I always dreamed about space. My technology has always been geared to get humanity off Earth. To the Moon, to Mars, Titan maybe as far as Pluto and then maybe not in my lifetime but maybe our kids, beyond. Interstellar made right. No worm holes but Jump Tech.” She sighs belting in, “I know it sounds insane, but yeah…here we are.” She almost sounds giddy!
Taking a deep breath she kisses her middle and index finger and presses it to the shuttle wall, one last gesture to Chuck and the others staying behind.
“This is where we do it right. We finish this off. Then we come back and we do our best to make sure it doesn’t happen again anytime soon.” She smiles, looking at Athena and the others coming along. Solid team, solid foundation.
Athena grinned, always envious of her sister’s endless nerdery and well, ambition. That she had, the thought making her light headed, as light headed as someone slightly taller than her already Norse goddess like stature could be, Athena chuckling in Freya’ thought. The others waved, as the truck pulled away, Athena locked in conversation after the little ‘debate’ with Ebrima and Skye.
“You’re crazy, Freya. Endless creativity in you. But I guess this is your first step. Even if it….well, involves keeping the rest of humanity alive, I guess.” Athena commented, exhaling deeply, looking out as they pulled out of the hangar, the sight of the rocket in the distance.
“With Chuck, I’m glad he’s in one piece. Dude is gnarly as hell. Still wanted to defend. I’m glad Tahlia told him to quit it.” She added, resting her metallic, armoured paw against Freya’s, the two sisters at the end of the world looking on at each other.
“Gotta say, you’ll make a hell of a couple. Proud of ya.” Athena beamed, glancing a look as incognito as someone of her size could at Eloise, virtually hidden behind Skye on the other end of the truck, so small was her size.
“Hey, mind if I ask you….I think she might have an eye on me. I mean….damn, that was not where I expected my hearts to pull me but…..I guess…..” Athena mumbled, almost as if she was surprised at her own self, given all her positioning in life, her appeal, everything, that some small gesture, the little looks of awe, it almost came back.Freya looks back at her sister and reached up to take her hand in hers. She smiled, “I wholly admit I’m not one hundred percent sane. But then that’s half the fun.” She giggles a little.
Then follows Athena’s gaze over to Eloise, “Ask me what exactly hmmm? Her?” She hums, “JamJam and I are going to have to give her the once over, just like Dad, Mom and Jamie did for Chuck. You know that, it’s how we do things in this family. Same thing happened to mom and dad, same thing happened to me, gonna happen to you and Jamie too. That’s if we can find someone who can handle JamJam anyway.” She hums.
Then turns to Athena, “In all seriousness Thena, if you feel like it might work. Try it out. I…kinda maybe jumped Chuck in the plane…and it somehow worked out. Honestly I didn’t think anyone would want such a big woman like me. We’re abnormalities in the gene pool. Even a big guy I dodn’t think would ever want to take a shot on me. But if you have found someone who looks like they want to take a chance, and it makes you feel good. Go ahead, I’ll be your wingwoman any day of the week and five times that on weekends.” She leans over and gives her sister a kiss on the forehead, “Get me sis?” She smiles, “I’m going to have so much fun ribbing you about it though.”
Athena giggled, shaking her head, leaning up against Freya.
“Wouldn’t want a big woman such as you…..oh Freya, you really sell yourself short. Embrace that power, and all men shall submit, haha! Though….you picked well, sis.” The younger sibling grinned, looking to the rocket, just still taking this all in, before looking back to Freya, sighing with a certain feeling of all of it.
“I mean, who knows. Let’s see. My hearts do flutter plenty. So who knows….but hey. What a time to have feelings at the end of the world….and well, I guess I got Mom to deal with when we come home to explain it all to.” Athena added, feeling the truck stop for a moment, before starting again, continuing the last little stint to the lift, grinning at Freya, before settling down, all of it getting a bit real.
She’d been thinking about this a while, the usually bubbly Athena, who’d gone through being nearly set on fire or blown apart with Freya in the last few weeks, now really setting into this.
“When you went to Raven, why did you go in the first place? I mean, all these mercs, they have….well, you know, Skye said it herself, she picks a hell of a range of operators, some of whom are running from something. You had everything made yourself, you’ve done so much. Why this, Freya? I mean, I’m proud as hell, and glad to be joining you…..but before you went away, to that thing you couldn’t tell me about, I never did get to know. Why did you sign up for it?” Athena asked, perhaps a little inquisitively, knowing that there was no doubt, a little behind that. From her own chats with Ebrima, who certainly looked on her with disdain, to Eloise, the street urchin who’d survived poverty and came out of the other end an assassin, Chuck, betrayed by his own unit, and Sam, betrayed by elements within the CIA itself. And Skye, who was now proving to be something of a black sheep herself. It was perhaps that question that Skye said to Athena, she wanted the Kaantario to be the target, go loud, while they did the lifting. What did she mean by that?Freya hums. And looks out, “I…just…” She trails off.
Then picks back up, “I needed a change of scenery first off. It was almost assured that I’d join Blue Sword. Even as I worked to help push Humanity to our next frontiers. Deep Sea and Deep Space you know? And the trip to…well that.” She sighs, “I never did tell you what that was did I?” She looks closely at Athena, “It was a Think Tank sis. All the big Alphabet organizations got the greatest and brightest minds together to work on projects that would push science to the next level. My rail technology started there. So did my energy conversion and shield tech. All those electro magnetic and pulse engines that have been popping up? Thought up there. There were maybe 50 of us. In a bunker, I can’t even remember where now. And we spent everyday dreaming up new and wonderful ideas. It was a paradise. But then the Alphabet organizations pulled out. We were let loose.”
She chuckles, “And I joined Raven because I needed to feel like a badass again. Becoming a James Bond Villain level scientist was one thing. But I needed to destroy things again. And with Jotunheim ready to go. Well, I got it. Raven was a way to feel like the daughter of the Kaanatarios again. And what a trip to this point.” She smiles, “I’m glad we can all do this again. Us and Jamie, and everyone. Thalia, Ban, Sam. Everyone. Even if this could be the end of the world. I’m glad we’re here now. It feels like family.”
Athena smiled, thinking about that comment. Family. It was something she knew too well, even if her own self sometimes.
“Feels like it. Made me feel like I’m at home too. Even though I know some people don’t uhhh….well, let’s just say I’m a bit too much. Maybe a good chance to reevaluate what matters.” Athena chuckled, looking up at the massive rocket, as they closed in on it.
“I just don’t know how you do it. Putting yourself in harm’s way when you have it all. But then again, I’m not one to talk….” Athena kept on rambling, as she looked over at Freya, reflecting on it all. “I guess you just wanted to see what your tech could do in person. That’s some serious villain shit, being real. I guess I just like being a hands on boss. Lead by example. Be the leader you want to say, ain’t that some shit I learned in an MBA. And well, I mean, body like this, wasted behind a desk? Pfft, then I’d prove Ebrima right.” The youngest sibling giggled in her ramble, feeling the truck crawl slowly to a halt.
“I guess I always wondered when you were into this. You made family of people who didn’t have them. And acted as a big sister to them too. I might not be officially part of this, but….you’ve got some compassion deep in there. More than just destroying everything. When we get back, enjoy that. Whatever Skye says, sis, go be that nerdy girl and make sure you make that change you want to make. Leave me to destroy a little.” She licked her lips, Athena grinning, before breaking into laughter, knowing she was teasing with that, the truck coming to a half on that.
Moving to the rear hatch, and peeling it open, Athena lumped into the floor, turning and casually peeling Skye down as Freya dropped on her own, putting Skye to floor, given the difficulty of moving in the bulky, clunky EVA suit on Earth-bound gravity.“You two philosophising again?” Skye commented, looking up to Freya, nodding.“Eh, same shit, different day.” Athena replied, helping the others get out and ready, with the short walk towards the lift, Skye turning to Freya before she walked over.“Never got to say, thank you by the way for sorting out the mechs. And dealing with all of what you had to, with Laura. Thank you. It’s hard to deal with betrayal, but you did what you had to when it mattered. And I appreciate it wasn’t easy.” Skye added, clumsily moving, resting her suited hand against Freya’s metal one.
“Well, I suppose this got a lot more complicated. Thank fuck you’re a physicist, don’t go down the rabbit hole of consciousness transfer and biotech, honestly….what a fucking pain. I’m still there, but I don’t even want to think about the rabbit hole of how that worked. Or anything else to do with it. For now, fuck it. Ready for this?” Skye casually understated, knowing full well, that was a question to be answered- perhaps, when they’d finished saving the world.Freya turns to look at Skye, “Ready for this? Going to have to be.” She smiled and reaches over to give her sister a pat on the shoulder. Then over and…well hugs Skye as best she can, “No matter what, even after everything I think I’m siding with Ban here. That boy worships the ground you walk on. I atleast am in it to win it here and I’ll do it at your side.” She smiles letting Skye go. A huge grin on the big womans face, “I expect you to be one of my brides maids if not my maid of honor at my wedding missy.”
She wiggles then, causing herself to jiggle in all the right places, “Oh wow I can’t believe I actually said that.” She bounces, “But first let’s save the world right?” She nods, “That’s important, then…if Chuck doesn’t pop the question in a few months, I’m going to. Gonna claim that man.” She grins broadly at that. Fire in her eyes.
Jamie watched the truck pull away, standing there with the rest of the team. He narrowed his eyes. He didn't like it. True the Kanatario kids worked alone regularly. But he'd promised their parents ages ago he'd keep on eye out for his sisters. And here they go, unarmored, but armed and he can't go with them. To much there already. He edged his way over to Chuck, just as Ban stepped over too. Ban holding his side in pain, "You get pinked Samurai?" He asked. Ban just wincing. Jamie knelt down to check on Chuck, "Doing okay Brother in law?" He smiled, and briefly turned to look back at Laura. The rotund woman still secure. Ban did the same, "She will be fine. For now. I would like to think she knows better right now."
Jamie narrows his eyes, "We can but hope."
The three look the way the truck has gone.
Ban shifted and sat down carefully, kneeling in seiza, slowing his breathing, relaxing through the pain, sensing, waiting, regathering. He whispers to Chuck, "They will come back my friend. Your lady will be fine." An answer to an unvoiced concern.
Going where Angels Tread
Freya leaned into the seat, panting, the lift off had been something else. And as lesser gravity hit them, she almost started crying, tears welling in her eyes, "I made it...finally...I made it..." She presses a hand to the small window right by her seat, "Space...finally...I knew someday I'd make it...step one...step two Luna...Step three Mars...Four Venus...Five Titan...then beyond." She grins, "It's possible."
And then contact.
She grabbed her AEW, switching it to lower power anti-personnel. HEr armored body glove absorbing a few shots already. She growled, "Valkyrie, just like the Kill house."
A merc fired a gun at them cackling, saying something about God is great...in Chechen. When there's a whistle. And a clunk, no she couldn't bring Starbreaker, too unwieldly in light gravity. But her tomahawks? Hehe she brought both. So the first one slams into the Chechen's forehead splitting his head almost in two. Frigga snarls, "Hey bitch! We've all got business to finish with you! You hear me Rose!" She came charging around her cover, holding her AEW in one hand, sizzling shots racking the Mercs ahead of her. The big tomahawk in her other hand. Five enemy mercs looking on as she swarms towards them, moving far too fast for someone so big! It's a warcry of anger, and the words of, "For my man!" The tomahawk cleaving the air as it came around in a mighty arc. Like a deadly diamond edge. Cleaving, crushing.
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