xXx

It has been five years since the fateful day that changed them forever. Brandon and Mifune were now a part of a huge company that worked as a defense contractor for the same military they used to be a part of. Maka had found her niche in New York as a writer sharing an apartment with her best friend Tsubaki when she was on leave. Spirit couldn't adjust after leaving the military and eventually found his way into poverty and knew nothing else. Derrick Clark Sr., had taken control of the special forces since his release from incarceration, nothing was the same yet nothing changed.

"So from Vice Admiral in the United States Navy to a COO in one of the largest private sector defense contractor companies in the world." Clark groaned as he sat in front of Mifune, like he was an old buddy "You know, our kind just doesn't know how to leave the scene that easily."

"It's been five years Derrick, nothing is the same as it used to be. We've all grown so much and changed over this long period of time. Could you possibly believe it that Brandon is one of my highest rated field testers." Mifune cocked a grin towards Derrick, it had been a long time since they've seen each other. It should have been longer, but with many recent events that had taken place within the Navy, Derrick Clark Sr. had been released from confinement to direct the Navy SEAL teams once again.

"So You have Mark Clayton as your second in command and you yourself heading up the sole command of the entire SEAL team operations. How does that seem to make sense in your mind?" Mifune looked at Clark with cold, calculating eyes. The two men were on a battlefront of their own neither willing to surrender any ground.

"Well you see, it's no where near as dangerous as it was five years ago, seeing as the war with Brazil and many of the terrorist threats have ended we're in a standstill for peace." The decorated officer gloated to his former comrade, smacking his hand on the desk.

"I don't care how you try to rationalize it! Your own son died not even six years ago! Here you are leading some other person's son to a similar fate! Do you see the hypocrisy?" Mifune looked at Clark enraged, nothing could have set him off easier than the father of his good friend sitting in his office.

"I see our conversation is as good as done here isn't it, Vice Admiral Leon?" Clark sighed as he slowly stood up from his seat and quickly excused himself from the rather large corner office.

"I'm not fucking Vice Admiral Leon, you dick head..." Mifune groaned sitting back in his chair finally "If you want to call me something other than Mifune call me Samurai...at least then it'll be like your good ole days.."

"Spirit, you look like hell.." A cloaked man said walking up on the retired naval captain, who was lying on the side of a road, the years haven't been well to him. Homeless, jobless, and most importantly, daughterless.

"I don't know who you are bub, but you might not want to deal with me..I'm no good." The red haired man groaned trying to turn away from the dark figure standing directly above him.

"We both know you're not good, by any stretch of the imagination. How many men did you kill under your command?" The man bent over Spirit "Let's see, Soul? Harvar? Kid? Should I go on? All of these are your fault.."

"Who the hell do you think you are!? You can't accuse me of this without even knowing me you piece of shit! I'll fuckin' kill you if you ever bring any of that up again!" Spirit shot up from his sitting position and swung his hand towards the shadowed stranger. Knocking the large jacket off to reveal bright silver and gray hair.

"Oh are you surprised Spirit, seeing your old friend? Did you miss General Stein?" Stein stood up fully to look spirit directly in the eyes. The two men squared off, Stein hadn't lost a beat in five years where as Spirit was a broken down and beat up instrument of war.

"Old friend, let me help you. Your retirement doesn't have to be a permanent thing, the Navy does need a desk lacky around the rank of Captain I believe." Stein grinned towards his comrade and friend.

"After Kid...after that team I don't think I could ever go back to that life, it's just too tragic even for me. My hands aren't nearly as stained with blood as yours are Frank." Spirit just looked at him desperation in his eyes, but also a sense of hopelessness.

"So what of Kid, sure it was a tragic misfortune, but that blood is not on your hands. That team was disband and they were all discharged. I doubt any of them even remember you...if any of them are still alive after all of that went down." Stein looked Spirit dead on and couldn't believe the man he could see.

Bright sunny, it was usual for the west coast. Brandon got used to the bright and warm California sun. He could relax three days of his seven day week. Nothing was ever too hard for him here, he was living a dream. He slung his duffel bag over his left shoulder, grabbed his keys and locked the apartment door behind him. He's grown very accustomed to not having to look over his shoulder with every movement he made, of course that's probably why he missed the shadowed figure a ways down the hall.

He walked slowly down the hall towards the elevator never paying any attention to the mysterious figure that was slowly creeping up behind him. Perhaps he'd gone soft over the years that they've adapted to civilian life, perhaps he just didn't want to pay attention to the figure. His mind was peaceful and complacent. He tapped the button and that's when it hit him, the feeling of a presence, he swung around and snapped the button on his side holster, before he could react anymore the figure was in his face.

"Military police, MP, MP, MP! The figure screamed as Brandon began to relax just a bit more, "Master Chief Petty Officer Stern, I've been sent to ask if you would accompany me back to Coronado."

"So you're not just military police..who are you really?" Brandon looked at him with intent curiosity, remaining stiff and attentive, hand on his gun and ready "I'll give you three to answer me then I will unholster my sidearm."

"I'm not military police at all, I am an intel officer with team 6, Cal Burn aka Caliber, rank of Warrant Officer Grade 4." The man stood his ground under the pressure that Brandon was giving him "So I would suggest you ease down, that wouldn't end well at all."

The man took down his hood, revealing short golden, brown locks of hair and a scar under his eye. Bright blue eyes pierced Brandon right down to his core. The blue haired former SEAL couldn't easily back down but he knew when he was outmatched and this man clearly had the edge on a very rusty Star. The two men stared down each other intensely, unwavering. They stood less than a foot apart like this for what seemed to be hours, in which the reality was only five minutes, if not less.

"Whatever you have to say to me, you say it here. I have no intention on going back to Coronado, or do I want to go back to Washington." His glare sharpened, the tension between the two palpable "If you're from 6 that means you replaced me and my friends. Right?"

"Since the disband of your team it was turned into an intelligence team, we gather recon and nothing else. It is the most prestigious team to be a part of, you guys made it that way Star..." Cal smirked lowering his collar to reveal his trident grasped by the gold eagle.

"If I have to tell you here, I'll have to make it in a place more secretive, this information is sensitive and can only be disclosed to you and one other person outside of the military." The brown haired officer nearly whispered.

The day was wrapping up, Mifune sat at his desk in the same space he had just shared with Derrick Clark Sr., but only after so many hours did he notice sneaky devil himself had left a plain white envelope. The letter was sealed and hadn't been disturbed since it was given to him, which was a good thing considering it was coming from Clark, it most likely had something sensitive in it. He ripped quietly and quickly at the corner of the white, paper, enclosure. Pulling out a tiny piece of paper to which he unfolded and read the words silently to himself, placing the paper back within the envelope. He slowly stood up from this seat and walked towards the closest wall of his office and placed the letter within the shredder. He then dug the shreds of paper out and repeated the process two more times.

"Foolish old man, did he really thing I would decline his offer?' Mifune sighed, flicking the lights off as he left his office for the day, locking the door behind him.

The sun was beginning to set, he hadn't done much at all today, but he felt accomplished in some aspect. He looked at his watch it was just after seven in the evening. Plenty of day left for him and he needed to make a visit before he went home. He removed his tie and loosened the top of his white dress shirt. Walking down the street to an older coffee shop that he liked frequenting when he had the time in his busy schedule.

Mifune walked in scanning the shop for anyone else, finding Maka sitting in the corner as she did every day. The young blonde girl always wore the same sad expression on her face, whether it be from lack of interest in everything in her life or just what had happened to everyone in the last five years, she was a shell of what existed even during her service. There was no smile, there were no laughs, she simply wasn't happy. His expression softened as he made his way to the table to sit with his regular nightly company.

"Hey there, how's my little author doing?" Mifune smiled towards Maka whose blank expression pained him. Her laptop open, serving as a divider between the two of them. Her now ice cold cup of coffee being the only other thing on the table.

"Hey Mifune, is it that late already? I feel like today has just gone by so quick, so how was work?" Maka droned out the normal response she always gave him, to which he felt like changing up his usual response.

"Well Derrick Clark Sr. came by to visit me in my office today, I can only imagine he's got some sort of scheme concocted to fish me back into service." The blond haired man laughed, waving for a waitress towards the table.

"Clark huh, what did he want from you? I haven't heard from him or anyone else in what seems like forever. I haven't even gotten an email from Tsubaki in a good three months." Her face was long, her expression was saddening. Mifune just tried to cheer her up every day but nothing would cheer her up like a shark toothed grin from a certain guy always managed to do.

"Oh he just wanted to talk to me, I haven't seen him for the better part of seven years I believe, we had a lot off catching up to do. I got a very late congratulations on my promotion." He offered some sort of bait, hoping she might take it, but she wasn't interested. 'Time to offer some juicier bait.' Mifune thought to himself.

"He was interested in knowing where Brandon was currently located, but wouldn't tell me why. I wonder why that is." He offered this up to her, even though the conversation of Brandon never really took place.

"Couldn't he just super sleuth the information he wanted to know? Isn't he all powerful still? Those guys really piss me off. High brass is the reason I'm miserable..." Maka didn't take the bait but at least she opened up just a bit more this time, next line.

"You know Clayton took a demotion because he didn't want to hinder Clark's career goals, pretty admirable wouldn't you agree." He smirked looking at how her eye twitched, he pissed her off with that line and he was going to get an earful.

"Oh yeah, really god damn admirable, one killer steps off the pedestal and let's the bigger monster back on, I mean come on his name is the Lord of Death, or Death for short. What do you expect his career goal to be!" Maka retorted quickly and snidely, she hated all of the Navy now and wanted nothing to do with the higher brass, her father was no exception. Despite him retiring after everything that had happened she couldn't bring herself to face him let alone even speak to him over a phone.

The sun began to set quicker, the light slowly dying away washing the large buildings in an orange glow. New York city never did sleep, but the city looked amazing when it hit this time of day. He couldn't help but congratulate himself on the progress he had made with her today. It was probably the most she had spoke to him in the last four years, following their discharge from the Navy. His next goal was to convince her to speak with her father but that one was easier said that done.

"So that would be my mission if I accept?" Brandon continued glaring bullets at Cal, both men not willing to relinquish any ground.

"That would be the mission, one time deal after that you can leave or you can stay. Either way the top brass wouldn't twist your arm. Succeed and be rewarded, unfortunately there is no reward for failure." Cal finished briefing him with as much information as he could.

"Does it require just myself or will I be reassigned to Mifune?" The blue haired man looked down at his sidearm, some of it made sense but he hated the sound of everything, he just wanted a quick get away.

"If Vice Admiral Leon does accept the invitation he would be appointed commander of team 6 entirely, you would be commanding a squadron with myself and four other men." Cal flipped through some papers in his classified folder "This means you would not work directly beside Leon, but would follow the orders that he gives out, you would be leading the squadron much like he did back then."

"Well I don't feel as you've given me much of an option so I guess I'll take the invitation and the nice promotion it comes with, and what did you say the promotion was again?" He shrugged, shaking his head lazily.

"You would be joining back with us as an O-3, Lieutenant." The blue eyed man stated "Effectively a three rank temporary promotion, and depending on your success you either keep it or lose your promotion entirely."

"Deal..." Brandon extended his hand towards the man, "As long as you'll call me Black Star."

AN: The sequel to What We Must Endure, if you haven't read it please do so, Unravel will make much more sense. There were a lot of unanswered questions in What We Must Endure, and Unravel will ask new questions and provide answers to everything by the final chapter. So I hope you all enjoy the journey and as always, reviews with constructive criticism are always welcome. They help me become the author I want to be and the author you want to read!

Thanks!

-Jett