Operation: Phantom Shock

A new wave

Weaver's pov
5 months since war erupted
Ramstein AFB, Germany
I sat with victoria in the barracks as we talked with Granite and Metal team as they prepped to go rescue the Presidents daughter, "So Andrew, drinks after the mission?" He looked at me "yeah, Im always down to get plastered" I chuckled as Rich spoke "How's rainbow treating you?" I sighed "it's a mixed bag, I've had some really good experiences and then I've had some really painful experiences. Definitely better that running with you shit stains" Steve looked around Andrew "That's hurtful, I thought you liked us" I rolled my eyes "Nah, I never liked any of you" he pouted like a toddle with a foot stomp and arms crossed, causing victoria to laugh. Sandman pointed out "You know you all complain a lot, like an amazing amount" I looked at him as Frost turned to truck "See?! I'm not the only one who sees it!" Truck chuckled as Rich spoke "gotta have fun when your team is always so straight edge" I raised my hand "except when I was there, I fucked up that edge" everyone laughed as they finished getting their gear on and started walking towards the door, victoria called after them "Stay safe!" I leaned back as the rest of the Rainbow operators walked in, I leaned back further so my head was over the top of the backrest "yo" I saw Jäger wave as he walked over to the couch and sat on the back of the couch before leaning back and landing on the cushion. Twitch, Thatcher and Blackbeard took up seats in the chairs and couches around the TV, I heard Mike "So what're we doing today?" I replied "As far as I know it's a day off, you can do whatever you want" he nodded "Tea and sleeping, got it" I chuckled as Emma asked "what're you doing?" I stretched as I replied "I'm helping Victoria with making the cookies and getting my free food, then I've got no fuckin' clue" she chuckled "mind if I tag along? I don't have anything I've got to do" I looked at Vic "your call" she looked at Emma, almost inspecting her, before turning to me "what do you think?" I shrugged "It doesn't matter to me, if she comes cool, if she doesn't there's always another time" she turned to Emma one more time "Alright, you can come. I will kick you out if you're being an ass though" Emma nodded, clearly pleased, "that's fair" I turned to Craig and Marius "what're you two gonna do?" Craig spoke "I'm gonna go hit on one of the pilots" I laughed "do America proud, or else" he suddenly pulled back "Aye aye" I turned to Marius as he replied "probably get some more sleep" Victoria replied "My guy, you've been sleeping since we got back... You're sleeping right now!" He groggily spoke "nien, nien I'm not" I looked over and saw his eyes closed "holy shit, he actually fell asleep that fast" Victoria yelled "I fucking told you!" I laughed before checking my watch "I guess we should go start baking" Victoria leaned over and grabbed my arm lifting it so she could see my watch "wow, it's later than I thought. Yeah let's go" I stood and walked out after Emma and Victoria as we headed to the kitchen. I was daydreaming for most of the walk causing me to walk into the back of Emma when they both stopped, she turned "not even dating and you're trying to get in me" I choked on my spit at my introduction to the real world again "What?" They both laughed before Victoria spoke "Dude, we stopped since we're here and then all of a sudden you walk into the back of Emma" I blinked the shock away "oh, I didn't even realize." Emma cocked an eyebrow "how didn't you?" I replied rubbing my face with both hands "I was thinking, dreaming really, about some stuff. I just wasn't really here if that makes sense" Victoria nodded "happens to me all the time" as Emma asked "What we're you dreaming about?" I replied stretching "What I'm gonna do when I get back to Alaska, probably go on a hunt" she nodded before replying "I've always wanted to go hunting" as we walked into the kitchen. Victoria suggested "why don't you go hunting with Weaver? I'm sure he'd teach you" Emma looked at me "would you?" I nodded "my parents have been dying to meet you so I figure that's as good a time as any" she smiled as I looked at Vic "Alright, I'm deferring to you, I'm not a cook so you're up" she laughed "The delta operator that speaks multiple languages can't cook" I defended "well cooking isn't necessary for shooting someone" she laughed as we got the ingredients and set out to work. An hour and a half later, I released a puff of smoke from the cigar Victoria and I were sharing causing Emma to ask "when did you start smoking?" I looked at her "the two months you avoided me, I needed something to take the pain away." She stared at it "you know smoking is really bad for you, right?" I nodded "So is getting shot, in this line of work the cigar is the least of my worries" she sighed as I handed the cigar to Victoria. I pulled the cookies out of the oven and placed them on the stovetop causing Victoria and Emma to carefully inspect them until Emma nodded "they're done" I made a Holocaust joke "like Jews in auschwitz" victoria laughed loudly while Emma all but yelled "Weaver, why?!" I chuckled "Because I'm an asshole who makes fucked up jokes" she sighed before she chuckled as I poked the back of her neck. I leaned back "oh my god" causing Vic to look at me "what?" I looked at her as I grew an evil smile and placed my arm around Emma's shoulders "She's ticklish" as I heard Victoria laugh and felt Emma squirm. I released her as Victoria mused "you two seem good now, like all the anger left" I nodded slowly "I don't know, it just all fell back into place. Getting shot and immediately having her there stabilizing me, and just checking on me throughout the mission reminded me of who Emma is. It's not the fuck ups she made that makes her" Emma looked down rubbing her arm "Marius m'a mis un peu de bon sens, ça m'a aidé à travailler sur mes problèmes(Marius knocked some sense into me, it's helped me start working on my problems)" Victoria looked lost causing me to chuckle "Em, she's lost. She doesn't speak French" Emma has a look of realization "oh, i forgot since you always talk to me in French" I nodded as Emma spoke again "Marius knocked some sense into me, it's helped me, as Weaver would say, fix my shit" I patted her shoulder "well done padawan" Victoria nodded slowly "hey Weaver, can I ask you something?" I pointed out being a pedantic asshole "you already did" she rolled her eyes with a small smile "I'm being serious" I turned and started taking the cookies off the tray "yeah, what is it?" She asked somewhat quietly "what advice would you give a teenager about love?" I looked back "why are you?" She replied quickly "my little sister is getting to the age where dating is starting to get serious, I wanna give her some advice but I can't think of what to tell her" I nodded before turning to the cookie tray again "if I had to give advice to a teenager about love.... I guess I'd tell that that dating is supposed to be about someone adding to you, not being your center. You're supposed to be happy on your own and whoever you're dating is just supposed to add to that happiness and help you build. You can't have a great relationship when you're addicted to someone's happiness, happiness given to you by someone else isn't yours to keep" She replied with a question "when did you become so philosophical?" I shrugged as Emma spoke "I never made that connection, like, I never realized that it's two people building onto each other's happiness not substituting it" I looked down as my hands stilled "Zara taught me it" Victoria and Emma were quiet for a little bit before Victoria asked "who is she?" I turned around and looked at her with confusion as she elaborated "This Zara woman, you talk about her so dreamily. Who is she?" I looked down as a tear rolled down my cheek and a small smile etched itself onto my face "She was amazing, she was so extravagant and animated. She would get so excited over such childish things but when it came to work she was the most valiant person I've ever seen. She was always there when the horrors of war got to me, she was ethereal... a literal goddess, she has this brilliant, shining smile... she was always smiling" Emma looked down as she replied "Sounds like you love her" I looked up as I silently cried "I do" Victoria asked "where is she then?" I replied somewhat shakily "Philadelphia National Cemetery" Emma looked over "So she was your girlfriend a year ago, the one that was on your team during the invasion" I nodded as Victoria replied "I'm sorry I made you talk about it" I waved her off "it's fine, it's been a year, I've had time to work through most of everything" she sighed "alright then, so what now?" I looked at my watch "I'm gonna go an take a nap, wake me up if anything comes up" they nodded as I left and walked around the silent base heading towards the barracks. I arrived and headed towards my cot, each step becoming more laborious as my eye lids got heavier until I reached my cot and dropped on it quickly drifting off to sleep. I got shaken awake by Emma "You're gonna wanna hear this" I sat up and walked out as Metal landed and got off the little bird looking depressed as shit, I looked at Emma before running towards them "yo, what the fuck happened?" Frost looked down as Grinch replied "Granite didn't... granite didn't make it" I took a step back as I felt the pain in my chest "Did we get the girl atleast?" They shook their head no as Sandman replied "no, the Masks got to her before we could" I gripped my hair before dragging my hands down my face "Shit, ok, what's our move?" Sandman shrugged "we don't have one yet, command hasn't said anything since we told them we lost her" I gritted my teeth "Alright, keep me updated. I've got to make a call" they walked past me as I pulled out my phone and called Harry while I walked along the airstrip "Voodoo, what can I do for you?" I replied "I need you to do me a favor" he sounded unsure "let's hear it" I took a deep breath "Recall all Rainbow units to the Yukon and prepare for an invasion of Russia" Harry coughed "excuse me? What?" I replied "the Masks captured the Russian president's daughter, I suspect that they're gonna pull back to Russia to try to break the Russian president. If we can be prepared to act anywhere in Russian territory it gives us a head start" he sighed "And where are you playing? I don't suspect you'll be coming back" I confirmed the suspicions "I'm gonna go run with metal, I want Rainbow to be on the back line. They're good but Command is pushing all special ops units to do impossible tasks, they're going to die" he sighed "we've lost a lot already" I asked "how many have we lost now? I haven't had time to check the roster" I heard papers getting moved before he spoke "Ah here it is, 12, we've lost 12" I sighed "How're the Masks behaving?" Harry replied "every day it's something, the National guard is doing a pretty good job of keeping the activity contained but the sooner we end this war the sooner the masks can be dealt with" I checked my watch "Alright sir, I've got to go and tell everyone that Rainbow is shipping out" he replied "I'll let the rest of the teams know. I hope you're right Weaver" I chuckled "Sir, I'm always right, except for that time like 3 weeks ago" he laughed "goodbye Weaver" before I heard the line go dead. I put my phone in my pocket and started for the barracks, this is gonna be a painful one.