CHAPTER 4: THE SWORD AND THE SHIELD

December 12, 2015

Location Unknown

2000

A dark hallway is only lightly illuminated the lights emitted from the warriors. All five of them. Sprinting down into what could only be certain danger, but not one of them has the blight of fear within them. They continue running until they reach a staircase with two walls on each side of the steps. three of them. Ash, I.Q. and Thermite put their backs against the left wall, and Sledge and Blitz but their backs and the right wall. Ash then spoke.

"Cover me I'm sending a drone out." Ash then dropped a small drone on the ground, it was tiny but not too small to be seen, it was a small cylinder with two small treaded wheels on either side, it also came equipped with a launch pad for vertical leaps and a small camera in the center. It was, in other words, a greatly efficient scouting tool. Ash pulled out her small smartphone and used it as a control module for the drone, the drone quickly darted up the stairs and onto the next floor, as Ash examined the screen she can see that there were five tangos on the upper floor, Two in the first closest room and three in the second farther room. There was also an even farther third room that she attempts to scout, but her drone was destroyed by a bullet, White Masks. They came equipped with their signature white gas masks and black body armor they also carried automatic weapons and small canisters of an unknown biological weapon. Ash then spoke.

"We have two in the first room and three in the second room, the hostage appears to be in the second room I believe." Kirov then relayed with them on their ear pieces. "Blitz, Sledge, and I.Q. make your way up the stairs. Blitz, you take point. I.Q. kill anyone who comes his way and make sure that you don't step on any traps. Use that Spectre of yours. Sledge your cover behind. Thermite you and Ash make your way down the hall you came, move to the outside of the building and rappel up the side, when I give you the signal you are going to do a timed breach into the second room with three tangos." Thermite replied.

"Blitz, Sledge, and I.Q. make your way up the stairs. Blitz, you take point. I.Q. kill anyone who comes his way and make sure that you don't step on any traps. Use that Spectre of yours. Sledge your cover behind. Thermite you and Ash make your way down the hall you came, move to the outside of the building and rappel up the side, when I give you the signal you are going to do a timed breach into the second room with three tangos." Thermite replied.

"Yes, Commander let's move everyone!" Ash and Thermite make their way to the outside of the building and begin rappelling up. At the same time Blitz, I.Q. and Sledge made their way up the stairs. As they approached the area they see that every room was connected by a long hallway and that every room also has only one entrance. (Besides the windows) Blitz whispers to I.Q.

"See anything?" I.Q. responds with.

"Nothing yet, I'm getting strange readings here there is something in the structure that is using a lot of electricity but I haven't found it yet." I.Q. turns her gadget towards the doorway and sees a nitro cell I.E.D. briefly before aiming her pistol and the device and firing.

"Clear move up!" She shouts. And the three move into the first room. Blitz busted down the barricade and stood in the doorway and shouted.

"I got two hostiles!" Sledge took position in the hall to cover their six while I.Q. put her hand on Blitz shoulder as they entered the room, Immediately two White Masks begin to open fire on Blitz but he and his shield hold fast. Blitz counts in his mic,

"ready three… two… One!." Blitz flashes his shield and the two attackers stop shooting and are forced the cover their eyes do to the pain of the flashes

"Aahh!" The White Masks Scream, Blitz then turned his shield on its side and uses it as a stand for his pistol to easily dispatch one man, and at the same time I.Q. used her Aug to take down the other.

"This room's clear!" shouts Blitz. Kirov spoke into the mic.

"Excellent work people, now regroup with Bravo and get ready to breach room two." The three make their way to the second room when they heard gunshots behind them, they turned to see that Sledge was engaged in a firefight with some White Masks attacking from behind.

"Blitz I'll need some help back here!" shouted sledge, Blitz then quickly ran back to the edge of the staircase where sledge was and began to lay down suppressing fire. During the meantime I.Q. flashed her Red three over the wall to the second room and sees that the entire room is clear except for the door frame which is riddled with explosive devices. I.Q. then spoke.

"Kirov, we have a lot of I.E.D.s on the door I don't think we can move through there." Kirov responded with.

"Alright guys, I.Q. says that her Spectre is picking up a lot of enemy signals from the door so we likely might be dealing with an Entry Denial Device. Let's instead opt to make a tactical breach through the wall and catch them by surprise" All of Team Rainbow responded with the same thing.

"Yes, commander." Kirov confidently spoke.

"Alright sledge you make a hole in that wall by I.Q. and then the two of you will pick off any White Masks in your sights. Thermite and Ash you will breach through the windows at the same time and crush the enemies between two oncoming forces. Blitz, you cover the flank" The commander paused.

"I.Q, what's the status on the windows." I.Q. responded with.

"we don't have any electrical signals coming from the windows." Kirov then said.

"Alright, people get it set up." Sledge pulled from his position on the stairs and regrouped with I.Q. Sledge pulled out his "Caber" and readied it for a hard swing. At that same time, Thermite and Ash placed their breaching charges on the windows and waited for the signal. Blitz had the stairs covered and it seemed as though the White Mask reinforcements has seized pushing up the stairs. Kirov then shouted.

"Three… Two… One… GO!" At that time sledge swung his hammer and in one thrust the wall exploded open. Splinters went flying in the opposite direction and a massive gap in the wall appears. Sledge and I.Q. then spotted two White Masks and began to open fire. They dispatched the terrorists with ease and focused their sights on the remaining enemy.

"We can't see him!" Shouted Sledge.

"Not to worry we got him." Thermite and Ash who were attached securely to their rappels jumped backwards giving them lots of momentum, At the same time, they blew the breaching charges. The window barriers exploded and into the room poured the two fighters. Ash landed and immediately whipped up her gun to see a White Mask disoriented and stumbling around. She quickly ended him with a shot to the head. Thermite then picked up the hostage. A man tied down with duck tape over his mouth and hands. At that time all five of the fighters regrouped in the room.

"Alright let's get out of here." said Ash.

"Wait! I think I have found the source, the electrical signal is coming from the third room we were trying to search…" Said I.Q. "Commander we have confirmation on the electrical signal it's something... big in the third room, permission to investigate?" Kirov responded with.

"Permission granted, keep that Spectre up we don't want anyone getting killed by some trap." The five of them took their positions in front of the third room They all found some sort of cover and prepared their weapons to quickly dispatch anything behind the door. The door, however, was linked to some signals of its own, With that in the commanders mind the best way to keep the breaching process as safe as possible would be to use one of Ashe's Ballistic Breaching Rounds. The five reloaded their weapons and took cover. Once they were prepared Ash took aim with her Gadget and Shouted out.

"Fire in the hole!" She then launched the breaking round into the barricade covering the doorway. The barricade splintered and left the rest of the room covered in debris and dust. The five stood firm and peered into the doorway, out of the room walked a large White Mask This one, however, was taller and significantly more armored. He also had some sort of switch in his hand that was attached to the electrical signal I.Q. was picking up. This entire time the signals were a bomb, and not just that but a Bomb attached to a psychopathic man who was ready to die. The man began charging with a very loud beeping sound originating from his chest. Sledge then shouted.

"Engaging Hostile!" All five then began to spray their rounds into the chest of the assailant but it proved ineffective and at that moment when they begin reloading to continue firing, the man reached Blitz. This did not faze him however as Blitz proved once again, why he is known as being very clever. He sent his last round through the face mask and breathing apparatus of the terrorist and put him down. Just with one round. Blitz then spoke.

"Tango down... we are now extracting the hostage." Kirov happily replies.

"Copy that great work, Blitz." The five soldiers then marched out of the building with the unharmed hostage in hand. They had just worked together as a team for the first time and proved to be an elite fighting force. The commander then walked out of a small tent near the entrance of the building.

"Good work out their folks, that right there is as accurate of a combat simulation as we can make without sending real terrorists out on you. Those trainers are going to need some ice after you guys pelted them with those pellet guns. Nice job, now I suggest you people go and get some rest and maybe something to eat, it's going to be a long day of training tomorrow."

"Yes, Commander!" The five shouted before walking to their tents. Kirov watched them walk to their quarters. Ash and Thermite held hands as they walked back, and Sledge Swiftly began to polish his hammer and clean it of all the dirt and grime it had acquired. Blitz was chatting with I.Q. likely telling her some clever joke or pun based on the way she giggles and smiled when she heard them. All in all the entire team seemed pleased with the day's work. Kirov couldn't help but let a smile crack on his face when he saw his team completing an objective with excellence and then also get along so well.

"They did great today." Said Six from behind Kirov. He turned around and replied.

"You think so." Six then spoke.

"I know so, I knew that my trust in you was well placed, the team that you put together not only connect nicely on a tactical scale but prove to be socially connected to each other and that Is something you cannot train to a soldier, That right there is enough motivation to overcome any obstacle. If it's their friend's life that's on the line, they will have unbreakable wills. And that is worth more than any breaching tool or weapon."

"I'm glad to hear that then." Said Kirov.

"Just keep up the good work commander and many doors will open in the future not just for team rainbow but for you and your career." Said Six.

"It's been an honor Six" Said Kirov.

"It goes both ways" Replies Six. "I'll be back in a couple days to evaluate your progress, but until then keep up the good work."

"Yes ma'am," Said Kirov. Six then walked away and took a seat inside a black limo. Shortly after the vehicle pulled out of Hereford base. Kirov then turned and walked to the tent. Ash and Thermite walked out of the same tent from the opposite side and continued walking until they reached to the opposite side of Hereford. Thermite then leaned against the tall fence that surrounded the perimeter of the base and put his hands around Ashes hips, He pulled her closer to him and the two kissed for multiple seconds. He drew himself back away from her lips and put one hand on her cheek with which he gently rubbed her skin. With the other hand, he touched and fiddled with her hair braid. This continued for only a short time because Ash grabbed Thermites vest and pulled him in and their lips softly touched and latched together for a few more seconds. They then stopped again, as Thermite withdrew so he could gaze into Ashes eyes.

"Jordie?" Said Ash.

"Yes gorgeous?" Said Thermite.

"Promise me you will never leave me." Said Ash.

"Aw... Why do you say this?" Said Thermite.

"I have nightmares sometimes that you go out to battle and then never return, just promise me If you ever go out to fight you will always come back to me." Said Ash.

"I promise… I love you" Said Thermite, he put her head against his chest and the two leaned against the fence holding each other for a few more seconds.

"And Jordie…" Said Ash.

"Yes…" Said Thermite.

"I Promise to you that If you ever go out onto that battlefield or into that building or onto that plane or boat or truck or whatever it may be to fight the free world's enemies. I promise you, I will always fight beside you." Said Ash.

"This I know for sure, there's no one on God's green earth that I would rather have fighting by my side than you…" Thermite said. he then began to kiss Ash again as he lowered his hand from her cheek. He then grabbed her hand and separated their lips and said.

"You have no idea how much you mean to me and I would rather die than lose you... And that is the truest thing I've ever said In all my days." The couple stood out under the stars until late at night.

December 7, 2016

Hereford Base, England

2100

I.Q. grabbed a rubber ball and tossed it as hard as she could at the beer bottle that stood on top of a table. It hit the bottle dead on and the glass shattered.

"Yes! Dang, great shot Moni" Exclaimed Blitz. I.Q. Blushed, every time someone calls her Moni she hated it and usually would respond saying.

"Haven't heard that one before." or "Good one." she would even go as far as to get upset, it reminded her of bad times from her childhood. Where she was bullied extensively for her love of Science and Technology. Moni was used as an insult in those days. But it seemed to not bother her when Elias said it. For some reason she cannot figure out she likes it. After all, it does not give off any good vibes for her. But even after things like that I.Q. still finds herself laughing to Elias's jokes and plays games with him or just simply hanging out with her. She enjoyed so much she liked it even more than with someone as good of a friend as Ash. Elias it seemed was her best friend, after the few months they spent together. I.Q. would rather go to battle with him as her shield than even someone as dependable as Sledge.

"Alright it's your turn now Fotze, (Cunt)" Said I.Q. she tried to sound mad from the last name calling that Blitz did to her, but she could fake it well enough and Blitz knew it.

"O.K. Moni, let's see what I can do." Blitz cocked his arm back and let a rip sending another ball down range like an MLB Pitcher, it hit the bottle on the end of the table and exploded into a variety of fragments and pieces that littered the grass.

"Good job Ruth Babe, " said I.Q. "I bet you 50 pushups you can't do it again."

"First of all, it's Babe Ruth. I'm not even American I knew that and second of all, Sie sind auf (You are on)." Blitz threw the ball once again, this time at another bottle that was beside the first one. The ball just barely missed the bottle and landed cleanly on the ground on the opposite side of the table.

"Bezahle (Pay up)." Said I.Q.

"aber natürlich sai, (But of course)." Blitz then dropped to the ground and began to do his push-ups, he did about 25 in rapid succession before stopping, he quickly stood up and said.

"You know I think It's a little unfair if I have to wear body armor for this." Blitz then unzipped his vest and pulled it over his head, He accidentally, however, in addition, pulled off his shirt with the vest.

"Oops." Sad Blitz as reached to the ground to pick up his shirt. I.Q. looked at Elias and saw his torso, his arms were big and strong and all but his core was different, his chest was tattered, he had large scars, wounds, tears, and who knows what else on his body. She walked closer to Elias and gently touched his right pectoral on it was a large gash that she felt with her fingers tips, with her other hand she touched what looked like a bullet wound on the lower portion of his core.

"Oh Mein Gott," She said while feeling it with her finger. "What are these from?..."

"Schlacht, (Battle) in Kosovo I almost didn't return from It." Said Blitz in a quiet and serious tone. I.Q. had just grasped the reality of the situation she is in. She was always prepared for her own death, but she had never thought of what It must be like to lose someone else to the cruel embrace of War. She had let Blitz get under her skin, something that she always tried to avoid but had inadvertently done, And now that she had something to lose it hit her especially hard. She realized now that if she lost Elias she would lose a part of herself. She grabbed Elias's hand and brought him close and hugged him, she hugged him as hard as she could and didn't let go until Elias said. "Was ist los mit dir? (What's wrong?)" Elias asked. I.Q. lifted her head from Blitz's chest and Blitz looked at I.Q. He saw that she was crying. He looked at his chest and saw where the tears were. He saw her eyes, sharp and bright blue. A color that Elias always liked, it reminded him of home and the blue rivers and creeks behind his house that he would scale and explore as a child. He took his thumb and wiped the tears away from her cheek and brushed some of her blonde hair away from her eye. And brought her back into his embrace. Elias thought maybe the two of them had just had a little too much to drink after the simulation. Elias didn't know that I.Q. didn't even have a sip to drink in the first place. Elias was exhausted from the days training and thought that the two of them just needed some shut eye. He felt Monika's weight press into him as she had almost fallen asleep on his chest and thus, swept Monika off of her feet and carried her in his arms. He brought her into the tent where sledge had his back turned to them. He was cleaning his hammer off and maybe sharpening it. Elias did not know where Monika's bed was and frankly was too tired to care, so he decided instead to just bring Monika into his part of the tent that was closed off to anyone but him. He made his bed and put Monika in it, he tucked her in and whispered into her ear.

"Keine Sorge, im nicht überall. (Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere)." Elias then sat down in the chair that was beside the bed leaned back and quickly fell asleep, he had plenty of experience sleeping in uncomfortable environments so this easy for him.