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»»————- 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦: 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘵𝘩🕊️
𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈 𝙾𝙽𝙴 — 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙵𝚘𝚐𝚜 & 𝙵𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝙵𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜
𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵,
𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴
𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰
𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭...
— ᴹᵉ, ˡᵒˡ
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AS THE CREWS WAITED IN THE EERIE SILENCE OF THEIR RESPECTIVE FORTRESSES, anticipation coiled like a serpent in the young lady's gut. The lingering pre-mission panic seeped through every nerve, casting a shadow over her resolve. Each breath feels like a struggle against the invisible weight of the impending danger. The delay due to the fog only added to her unease, despite her best attempts to curb her fear. The stillness of the morning prolonged the suspense, allowing self-doubt to gnaw at her mind. Yet, amidst the tension, she clung tightly to the unity of her comrades, finding solace in the knowledge that they face this fear together.
"So, you're on the way through purgatory, and you reach a fork in the road — one road leads to Valhalla, the other goes to hell; damnation." Major l/n narrated, recalling a tale her friend from Texas used to share to soothe her nerves. It wasn't so much a story as it was a thought experiment, an inquiry without a definitive answer. Yet, pondering it always seemed to bring a sense of calm to her restless mind. "On each of the road is a goblin... One goblin always tells the truth, while the other is a tricky little fucker. He always lies, okay?" She explained. "Now, what's the one question that you need to ask that's gonna tell you the right way to go?"
"Jesus Christ- that's certainly a brainrot." Remarked Douglas, eliciting soft chuckles from the rest in agreement. "Wait, wait, wait... So, do you ask it, Are you the good Goblin?" Croz replied after thoroughly examining the scenario. "Um, no, not quite. But you're getting closer." The girl murmured after a moment of consideration. "You're sharper than I gave you credit for, Crosby." She teased with a playful grin. "10 bucks says the second and third task forces are already up in the air." Via scoffs, his impatience ensuring his focus from the mission remains unshifted. "Ah, nah. They wouldn't hit their targets before we formed up with them." Harry mused confidently.
"Well, what if they do?" Douglas wondered aloud as the blonde's words consumed his thoughts as he contemplated the possibility. "Then this brilliant plan is shit." Scoffed the Major, gazing out the window, straining to discern the other forts through the thick fog. But just then, as if on cue, a jeep pulled up. "All three task forces are socked in. We've got a 30-minute delay," Informed the balding Sergeant before driving off to relay the news. "Thanks, Garcia!" y/n exclaimed before turning to her crew with a quirked eyebrow. "There you have it, boys. That settles it." She shrugged before excusing herself to get some air.
As she wandered off alone, her footsteps crunching softly against the gravel path, she felt the weight of her thoughts pressing down on her. The cool mist wrapped around her like a comforting blanket, offering solace in its gentle embrace. With each step, she allowed herself to unravel the tangled web of emotions that had been building inside her. Fear, uncertainty, anticipation — they all swirled around her, vying for her attention. But in the quiet of the fog, she found clarity. Underneath the hazy sky, she let herself be vulnerable, acknowledging her fright. Yet, with each breath, she felt a newfound sense of strength welling up within her.
She wasn't alone in this journey. She had her crewmen, her friends, her fellow soldiers, all standing by her side... And as she gazed up heroically, having a moment of invincibility when she finally defeated her anxiety, she bumped into a shady figure, the impact almost knocking her down. "Watch it!" She snapped, the annoyance in her tone reverberating throughout the deserted runway. "Duck?" Cooed a familiar brunette, recognizing her voice almost instantly. "Curt- hi..." She mumbled awkwardly as the embarrassment of their collision sank in. Caught off guard by the unexpected encounter, she couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of her moment of triumph being interrupted by a literal bump in the road.
"How are you holding up?" Asked the man, inching closer to get a better look at her face. "Been better." She answered honestly, her voice tinged with sorrow as she avoided meeting his gaze. She couldn't bear to look into his icy blue eyes, knowing that it might be the last time she ever saw them. Her heart thudded heavily with grief bearing down on her like a crushing weight. 'He's all safe and sound, y/n... Stop acting as if he's dead!' She shook her head aggressively once more, trying to dispel the overwhelming sense of dread that threatened to consume her. "You good?" Biddick questioned, a little weirded out by her reaction, his brow furrowing with concern as he observed the young lady.
"How do you feel?" She asked instead, trying to change the topic, hoping to shift the focus away from her own turbulent emotions. "Paranoid," he replied instantly, his voice tinged with unease. "I-I just can't explain it. Woke up like this, feeling kept getting worse as the meeting progressed." He explained, his words trailing off as he struggled to articulate the gnawing sense of anxiety that plagued him. "I might know a thing or two about that." She scoffed softly as she turned away, her gaze fixed on the dense fields as the fog began to lighten. "Isn't it scary..." She mumbled, her voice trailing off as she stared off into space. "Huh?" The brunette glanced at her with a puzzled expression, taken aback by her sudden introspection.
"Isn't it scary to be ready to die at such a young age..." Her words hung heavy in the air, casting a somber shadow over their conversation. Biddick was rendered speechless, his mind racing with the weight of her words. "We're gonna make it, y/n. I know we are." He assured her, though his own doubts lingered beneath the surface. "Here... Every time I feel low or defeated, I just look at this picture. It's sort of a beacon of hope, if you ask me." He mumbled, his voice carrying a hint of vulnerability as he handed over the picture to y/h/c. She took the photo gently, her fingers tracing the edges as she studied the image.
A smile touched her lips as she looked at the scene captured in the frame, feeling a warmth spread through her heart. "Katherine Hepburn?" she raised her brow, stifling a chuckle as she noticed the boy's photo stuck right next to the actress's, making it seem as if they were walking beside each other. "Well, what can I say? I like me an older woman," he shrugged with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, prompting laughter from both of them as they joked around lightheartedly. "Thank you." She murmured softly, meeting his gaze with gratitude shining in her eyes. "I'll keep this close." She promised.
"Yeah, but be careful, alright? I want it back once we touch down in Africa." As she held onto the picture, she felt a renewed sense of determination wash over her. It was a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there was always a glimmer of hope to hold onto. And with that thought in mind, she faced the challenges ahead with renewed strength and courage. As Curt and y/n conversed, another voice chimed in from the shadows, drawing closer. "Curt, y/n?" Spoke the blonde. "Hey, Buck!" Greeted the brunette. "Some soup, huh..." Muttered the girl as Cleven joined the two. "Yeah." Sighed the man, glad to spot them before his flight.
"We have fog like this back home; always spooked me as a kid." Confessed Biddick. "No one likes the fog, pal." Cleven comforted. "How are your boys doing?" He asked the two. "Antsy." Replied the brunette. "Not me though- I'm feeling good." He quickly added, noticing y/n's face drop a little, her worry returning. "I feel like this could be a big one, you know... We could do some real damage." He spoke in a motivational tone. "It is." Nodded the blonde as they all stared off into space. "Welp, we better get back to the ant farm." Mumbled the girl since the 30 minutes had almost come to an end. "See you two in Algeria." Smiled Gale. "Fly like an angel, fellas." Curt quoted while the three split ways.
'And not die like one...'
(1.5k words)
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