002: For the Road
October 13TH - 08:50:50
? "Grinch" ?
Delta Force
Berlin, Russia
There's only so much you can do before nothing more can be done; at least that's what his father used to tell him. Soldier or no, there was always something. It's been too crazy a month and half to fully digest. Almost anything that wasn't vital to the mission-with the exception the Eiffel Tower. Now that was a spectacle of destruction you didn't get to see every day- was filed into the back of his head, ready to be lost or recaptured for another time should he survive to make good on that mental rain check.
Prepping for the mission? Ah, there was nothing quite like the literal calm before the storm. The tizzy of energy bubbling around yourself and everyone around you as they claimed their favorite weapon, readjusted their vests and double-checked parameters of their roles within the objective beyond following the leader.
Not Truck, of course. Nothing like this ever seemed to trouble his partner in the least, it's probably what made him the better shot outside of Sandman; he didn't worry himself in a knot before the time came to actually fire his weapon. Lucky bastard I want your nerves, Grinch would think to himself. Readjusting his helmet he crossed the distance of the garage to where a less than happy Derek Westbrook sat atop an unoccupied table, his legs propped up by a chair situated in front of him. From the scowl on the brunette's face was indicative that he wasn't particularly pleased about being left on the sidelines.
The injuries he sustained from the trip bomb in Berlin in the attempt to rescue "Athena" (Alena Vorshevsky) were enough to have him grounded by the medics. Sandman had been only been so fortunate in the fact that Frost had rushed ahead in a rush to secure the girl from enemy hands. The brunt of the explosion was dealt to Frost, who - against all logic - had maintained consciousness long enough to fire off a few rounds from Sandman's pistol before finally passing out. Grinch had been too angry to even crack a joke at the spread eagle position he'd found Frost in when Sandman ordered Truck and himself to peel him off the floor and rendezvous at the extraction point.
The day was won by the Ultranationalists. It truly was a bad day to be Delta yesterday.
Frost shifted his gaze away from the little birds over to Grinch; without the ski mask, gear and goggles, Westbrook was a decidedly less intimidating (and smaller) figure. The piercing brown eyes remained, yes, but bruises peppered on his equally dark brown skin painted him as vulnerable as any other soldier on the field. "Coulda sworn the doc said you were on bed rest," Grinch attempted to breach the silence with as casual an attitude as possible.
Frost started to shrug his shoulders then stopped, remembering the arm that lay nestled against his side in a sling and the padding around his broken ribs. "She might've said something like that," The rasp betrayed Frost's steely voice and narrowed eyes to a sleep-weary man. "Seeing as it took a half an hour just to get out of my room, I have no intentions going back to bed."
Grinch grinned. Whether it was the pain or the painkillers, Frost was clearly not at full functioning order. If anything, he looked read to fall over any second. "Can't get any better if you disobey bed rest orders," He said.
"Spoken like a true boy scout," Westbrook returned the show affection with a smile of his own. He'd punch Grinch in the arm but the temptation was curbed by the pinching pain in his sides that would blossom into agony at the smallest chance. "I'm just anxious, man. I hate not doing anything. Not being able to help."
Grinch nodded understandingly. "Hey, I get it. You were handed a shit deal and all for trying to save the girl."
"It's not even that," Westbrook murmured. "I went through that door without so much as checking for danger; I panicked, I didn't think. I thought we'd won, she just a few inches away and bam! I'm lying on my back thinking I've lost my arms and they go riding off into the sunset with the precious cargo." Frost shook his head. "I could've gotten the whole team killed."
"Well, that's true enough, but lucky for us we're a bunch of led-asses," Grinch commented dryly. He and Truck had been far behind Sandman and Westbrook when the explosion went off. He'd barely shaken off the nibble of claustrophobia from traveling through the collapsed building when the explosion shook the hotel.
"Speak for yourself, Grinch," Truck's voice carried itself across from the other side of the room, attracting the attention of the two men. "I'm your back up. I'm obligated to be a led-ass."
"Says you," Grinch shot back.
"That's right, says me," Truck affirmed with a self-satisfied grin. The man had little no shame, Grinch deduced. Only someone with balls of steel could look so prideful and dare to wear a helmet covered with faux-bear fur and giant ears on its sides. "How much you wanna bet the next time we go out, I'm quicker than you?"
"Please, don't embarrass yourself, Grinch," Truck replied. "You and I both know you'd lose."
"$500 bucks and a weeks' worth of beer says thinks otherwise," Grinch shot back.
"Don't you two have something you should be doing?" All three soldiers stopped cold in their tracks, Grinch's smile dropped from his face in a flash as he turned to face his commanding officer. Sandman looked none too pleased at the sight of his men jerking off in the middle of prep and was less thrilled to see Westbrook out of bed, distracting at least one of his men from their duties.
"Yes, sir," Truck answered for them, removing the bear helmet from his head. "Grinch and I are ready to go."
"Then let's get moving. We've got a small window of opportunity here and Price doesn't like to be kept waiting," Sandman replied as he headed for the little birds. Tossing his bear-helmet into his locker, Truck grabbed his gun and followed after the master-sergeant. Risking pain, Westbrook slapped Grinch on the shoulder and startled the man. "I'll see you later, man," He said.
"Likewise, Frost," Grinch replied as he backpedaled toward the little birds. "Try to get some rest, huh?" He didn't wait for a response from the injured soldier, turning away he made a dash for the helicopter Truck and Sandman had situated themselves in as it was rising from the ground.
(TBC)
