Author's Note: What's up guys, sorry for the delay on Chapter 10. Gave my a friend a few extra days to proofread the story to make sure that everything flowed smoothly and that it was looking neat. I have to say real quick though that I'm really happy with all the support you guys have given me this far and I appreciate you all. I only started working on this story about 2 months ago, and I'm really surprised with how well the story has been received by you all. Definitely gives me drive and motivation to keep on writing this to its fullest potential. Anyways, I'll stop rambling here so you guys can enjoy the Chapter.

As a quick side note: I've recently started drafting up the first Chapter of another work of mine that's going to be titled Kodokuna Okami (Japanese for "The Lone Wolf) which will be a For Honor fanfic. So, if you're into medieval times as well, I would recommend checking it out once I've got the first Chapter up for it.

Until then, I'll talk to you guys later, and once again, I'm really glad that you all are enjoying the story so far :D

June 4, 2018

Location: Hereford Base, Herefordshire, UK

Time: 5:09 A.M.

Despite it being as early as it was, the sun was already starting to rise over the horizon as it dawned on Hereford. Most of the team members were still fast asleep at this time, but for eleven certain operatives, it was the first task of today in which they had to be up early. Storm was already wide awake and in the main corridor since he was used to getting up at such early times, Jackal was up too and all set with his gear, albeit tired due to his insomnia having kicked in again for him. Sidewinder was also surprisingly awake with his bag ready for the trip as the three casually went about doing whatever to pass the time in the corridor. What was a surprise for both Storm and Jackal, was the amount of tattoos that were dotted across Sidewinder's arms.

"Damn Christian, didn't think you were that heavy into ink," Storm commented, still examining the tattoos.

"Mate, these tats are only the beginning. Just wait until we get to the resort, you're gonna see the whole deal once we're by the pool," Sidewinder chuckled.

"It's been awhile since I've been back in my homeland. Can't say I remember the last time I was doing anything of interest in Spain…" Jackal noted, reminiscing on his life back in his home country.

"Well, there was your military life wasn't there?" Storm inquired.

"Yeah, but shit like that just becomes routine. I mean, when you first start off and are doing these things of going out to capture High Value Targets or intercept narcotic shipments, there's some thrill behind it. Once you get to the tenth one and beyond, it falls into the category of 'well, that's the fourth one this week, how typical,' and the interest just fades from there," Jackal remarked, rolling his shoulders as he continued to fight his exhaustion.

"How do you think I felt during my time in the PMCs? Literally every mission was either go clean house or kill everyone, apart from the one guy they wanted to interrogate. That routine shit is pretty much the reason I kept shifting around the PMC groups, I wanted to see if there was any change or difference, but nope. Same old song and dance everywhere I went," Storm sighed.

"Heh, isn't that practically the case here as well Aiden?" Jackal questioned, half-smirking.

"I mean, you're not wrong, but at the same time not right, if that makes sense. There's just something about this place that makes it feel distinctly different. Not to mention the people you meet here are more diverse," Storm remarked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Diverse is certainly one way of putting it," Sidewinder commented, snickering.

"Nice to see you gentlemen are wide awake."

The three immediately craned their heads toward the direction of the voice that called out to them. Coming down the corridor, was the Texan himself, Thermite. He had his drawstring bag wrapped around his shoulders, and beneath his shirt, one could still notice the heavy bandaging he had on his injury from days earlier.

"Surprised to see you actually managed to wake up and dress yourself without much of an issue," Storm mentioned, pointing out the injured shoulder.

"The meds Gustave provided really excel in blocking out the pain, so I had very little issue in getting my things ready," Thermite replied, gently pressing on his shoulder.

"I bet the meds aren't the only thing that are helping you recover amigo," Jackal snickered.

Thermite rolled his eyes at the remark as both Sidewinder and Storm laughed at the immature joke. However, Jackal wasn't wrong in the fact that someone had been helping Thermite with his recovery, since it was Hibana that had been helping him rebandage his wound constantly in order to catch any excess blood that might've been slipping through the stitched wound.

"So, here's my question: What made you and Yumi come up with this idea for today?" Jackal inquired.

Thermite half-shrugged at the question.

"We just really didn't know what to do since we were told last minute by Mike that we had the day off. So ultimately we just wanted to see if others were down to do a group outing if they had today off along with us."

"I can respect that."

"I do appreciate you guys coming along for this though. Kind of been wanting to do something with a group since the event at the club."

"Eh, I don't mind the time off. Although I am gonna have to get back to the training grind once it's all said and done," Storm noted.

Sidewinder nodded along with the statement.

"That's gonna be the same for me. Either tomorrow or the day after is when I officially start training and we most likely won't get another day off like this for awhile," Sidewinder added, sighing.

"It's gonna be the same for most of us Christian," Thermite remarked.

"Well what are they gonna have you do Jordan? Are they still going to have you tend to your usual duties despite your shoulder?" Storm questioned.

Thermite shook his head at the question.

"Nah. Mike and Six are gonna be giving me at least another week to recover. They said they wanted to ensure that I got the ability to move it around a good deal, rather than have to sit and work through the struggle of it."

"Even with the help of the meds?"

"Yeah, even with those it'd still be a struggle."

"You struggle enough as is Jordan," another masculine voice called out.

All heads rotated to face where the voice emanated from, and they were all met by the appearance of Echo, who had his bag at the ready, along with his hands tucked away into his pockets.

"What do you mean by that?" Thermite asked, raising a brow.

"I mean even if you weren't suffering from injury as is you'd still be somewhat of a train wreck. I still remember the night I found you after you'd finished working for the day. You looked like you were ready to drop straight to the floor out of exhaustion."

Thermite awkwardly scratched at his head as he began to recall the night himself.

"Yeah….I guess I was like that…."

"Honestly Jordan, just take a break from time to time otherwise you're gonna put yourself out when we need you most. Especially since you have someone who's close to you now."

Thermite started to blush a bit at the thought of Hibana with Echo bringing her up.

"Sometimes it's best to take a break from work and spend time with those close to you," Echo continued.

"You speaking from previous experience Masaru?" Jackal chuckled.

"Shut up…" Echo sighed, knowing Jackal was referring to his laziness and relationship with Ying.

"I'm amazed that none of the girls are awake yet. Would've expected at least one of them to be up by this time," Storm remarked.

"I mean, what do you expect mate. The ladies need their beauty sleep otherwise they become like savages when awake," Sidewinder mentioned, imitating a savage behavior, garnering a collective laugh from everyone in the corridor.

As much as it may have sounded mean, Storm, Echo, and Thermite couldn't help but agree with Sidewinder's statement. Having a girlfriend also meant giving them personal space, which was something all three excelled at so it wasn't going to be a major problem for them and they were content with it, especially Storm and Echo since they were the silent, reclusive types and often times weren't disturbed unless it was something urgent, or if their respective girlfriends were seeing them.

"They just better be awake within the next hour and ready to go. Flight leaves within the next couple of hours," Thermite noted, checking his watch.

"Shit, if it's leaving soon, why aren't we waking them up then?" Storm questioned.

"It's a private flight we got, so the staff on the plane are gonna be more patient than if we were rushing for a public flight," Thermite responded, adjusting his drawstring.

"So basically we don't have to worry about rushing them awake?" Sidewinder inquired.

"More or less. Just give them the time needed and we'll be out of here soon enough in order to get to Birmingham," Thermite responded, nodding.

"Some of us take less time than others Jordan," a feminine voice pointed out.

Before any of them had the chance to turn to see who it was, Storm immediately sensed the feeling of arms snaking around the length of his right arm. Ash was the first of the five women to show up, and if they were all being honest, they were surprised that she was the first one out of the others to arrive.

"Can't say I'm not surprised you're up first Eliza. If anything, I would've bet on Yumi or Taina to be here before you," Thermite commented, folding his arms over his chest.

"Well I'm here now aren't I? Won't lie though, it was a bit difficult waking up at this time since I'm used to getting about two or three more hours of sleep compared to this," Ash sighed, resting her head against Storm's arm.

Taking the notion, Storm slipped his arm out from Ash's arms before wrapping it around her shoulders and pulling her close to his side. The other four men looked on with slight smirks at the couple, but behind some of their eyes, one could easily detect hints of jealousy. There was only one reason of jealousy, and it was the fact that Storm had practically won Ash over in the matter of a week, while it took some of them months to even gain her trust. Nonetheless, they couldn't deny the fact that the two were essentially the power couple on base, with Storm's towering stature and power, and Ash's confidence and team abilities made them practically a powerful combo.

"You're one to talk about needing sleep," Jackal drearily remarked.

"At least you'll have some time to sleep on the car ride up Ryad," Thermite commented, checking his watch once more.

Whilst doing a double take on the time, both Frost and Ying showed up among the group, with Frost trailing just behind Ying.

"Now just waiting on the other three," Echo noted, as Ying came up to his side, intertwining her hand with his.

Almost as if on cue, the other three women showed up with both Hibana and Caveira still looking drowsy as all hell, but Valkyrie appearing wide awake compared to the others.

"I take it everyone's ready? I already got our vehicles sorted out: six-seater Hummers. So, one will be filled and the other one will have one person by themselves in the back. Who's riding with who?" Thermite inquired, pulling out both sets of keys.

If they were going by couples, it was easy enough to determine who was going with who. Storm with Ash, Echo with Ying, and Thermite with Hibana, which in turn would leave Sidewinder, Jackal, Caveira, Frost, and Valkyrie as the lone folk.

"If we want to make it easy for ourselves, why not just go by couples in one and then everyone else in the other?" Echo questioned, giving a shrug.

"If we're doing that, I call dibs on the back seats," Jackal yawned.

"I'm fine with it," Storm stated.

"Any objections?" Thermite questioned, looking at the others.

There was a collective shake of heads from the remainder of the group, garnering a slight smile from Thermite.

"Who's driving then?"

"I'll drive," Storm and Sidewinder called out simultaneously.

With relative ease, Thermite tossed the keys to both men with Storm snatching it with one hand and Sidewinder catching the other set with both hands.

"Just don't crash boys," Thermite snickered.

Both Storm and Sidewinder shot the Texan slightly annoyed looks before casually rolling their eyes as they started to lead everyone out to the garage housing the vehicles that were stationed on base. Parked at the very front were the two, grey-colored Hummers that Thermite had arranged for them with both Storm and Sidewinder climbing into the driver seats. In Storm's vehicle, Ash took the front passenger seat, followed by Hibana and Thermite filling the middle row and then Echo and Ying taking the back row. In Sidewinder's, Valkyrie took the seat next to him, Frost and Caveira took the middle, and Jackal sprawled himself out in the back, almost passing out in an instant. The two driver's glanced up at each other, giving one another a nod as they started up the vehicles. Pulling out from the garage, the two Hummers started to hum their way along the road, bound for Birmingham. Today would mark another adventure for a small crew of Rainbow operatives, and it would certainly be something that they would enjoy for the hours to come.

Location: Ibiza, Spain

Time: 2:23 P.M.

The drive from the airport to the resort itself wasn't too long since it only took them about half an hour to get there once they were in Ibiza. Standing at the front entrance, they were all amazed by the exterior of the building as the scenery surrounding it only added to the presentation of the construct, making it appear even more beautiful than it already was in their eyes.

"So this is the place you've been to before Christian?" Valkyrie inquired, still gazing at the exterior.

"On a few separate occasions. If I had a few days off and the money at the time, then I'd fly down here to kick it," Christian replied, swinging his bag onto his shoulders.

The group pushed their way inside into the reception area where it was somewhat crowded, but with the size of the group, especially the height of the men, they were able to easily move their way up to the front desk where there were three people, two females and one male, to greet them as they gave the group a small bow of acknowledgment.

"Welcome to the Ibiza Beach Side Resort," the three chimed, "What can we help you with today?"

The group seemed a bit weirded out by how in sync the three receptionists appeared, but Thermite was the brave one to step forward as everyone else slightly shied away from the desk.

"Uhm, hello. I'm Jordan Trace, and this is my group. We made an arrangement of sorts that a group from, ahem, Team Rainbow would be here."

"Ohhhh, of course. You're the Team Rainbow crew, so nice to see you all," the man beamed, flashing a smile.

Ying shifted a bit uncomfortably at the overly happy atmosphere, but Echo reassuringly squeezed her hand as he exhaled a sigh himself.

"Well, we would like to inform you that we do have a variety of things to offer. There are our bars located on the first and second floors, VIP Lounge on the second floor, a billiards room, and of course there's the pool out back. If it also piques your interest, there is the beach for you to explore as well. If you have any questions, just come see one of us or any other staff members."

A majority of the group exchanged glances with one another as they were really caught off guard by the overjoyous behavior of the staff at the resort, but Sidewinder was the only one that appeared unaffected since he had previous experiences at the place.

"Typical of the staff…" he thought, brushing some of his hair out of his face.

"Any suggestion as to where you guys want to go to first?" Thermite inquired, turning back to the group.

A large, collective proclamation of "Pool" rang throughout the area.

"Probably the best decision given this heat," Sidewinder noted as he started making his way for it.

The rest of the group followed Sidewinder's lead as he effortlessly glided through the corridors, snaking his way past oncoming staff members as he bounded towards the rear exit, that was in fact past one of the bars on the first floor. Exiting out onto the pool deck, the group was amazed by the spectacle of the pool as colored umbrellas dotted the edge of the glossy water. The sun itself made the water shimmer, giving off an all around peaceful vibe to the atmosphere that they stood in.

"So pretty…" Frost murmured.

"I'll say," Caveira chirped.

"Changing rooms are in that small building over there," Sidewinder noted, pointing in the direction of said building.

The minds of Echo, Thermite, and Storm started to wander at the sound of those words as their imaginations played out for them. The images and scenes of their girlfriends in their swimwear boggled their minds, making them blush out of excitement for the sight they would soon behold.

"Haven't even made our way over to the building yet and you boys are already thinking perversely," Caveira chided, rolling her eyes.

The three guys cleared their throats at the sound of Cav's remark in attempt to cover up their behavior, no matter how futile it was. Storm tried his hardest to become stone-faced, but the redness from blushing made the attempt difficult. Thermite tried casually whistling his way out of it while Echo made it seem as if he was staring into space as the three proceeded to act like nothing had really happened, earning some laughter from the women.

"Boys being boys," Ash teased, playfully slapping Storm's shoulder.

"No idea what you're talking about..." Storm muttered, earning another giggle from Ash.

"Jesus, you lot just gonna stand there soaking in the sun or actually get your feet wet? No pun intended….okay maybe it was intended a little," Sidewinder sarcastically stated, striding his way over to the changing rooms.

Following his lead, the rest of the men trailed behind Sidewinder as he guided them to the proper changing room. There were rows upon rows of lockers lining the room, with benches placed in the middle of each room in order to provide some support for those changing clothes and for those who were just taking a breather from the heat. Continuing to snake his way through, Sidewinder eventually halted at a line of lockers that had virtually nobody else in the aisle, leaving the benches empty and barren.

"Right here mates. Thank God for privacy," Sidewinder sighed in relief.

"Technically isn't there no privacy between us lot?" Echo inquired, setting his bag down on the bench.

"Don't bring that logic into here man. I mean privacy away from the staff members and some of the other people that come in here. They be giving you the weirdest looks when you're in the middle of changing and it's just creepy as shit," Sidewinder replied, shuddering a bit at the thought.

Setting his bag down, Sidewinder immediately yanked his t-shirt off of his torso, revealing more tattoos dotted across his body.

"Talk about ink," Thermite noted, examining the various tattoos.

"Yeah, I've always had a knack for being different. Figure I also get whatever I liked tattooed as well, and now my torso is just a magnificent almost filled in canvas. No regrets cause I'm damn proud of what I got," Sidewinder proudly stated, spreading his arms wide.

The tattoos he mainly pointed out included the ones on his chest. On the left side, there was a sword piercing through a helmet of sorts, and the right side, there was a white tree, along with a banner that appeared to be waving in the wind.

"Got some of my favorite Lord of the Rings things tattooed here. Got the Sword of Anduril piercing the Helm of Sauron here on the left, and the White Tree of Gondor and the Banner of Rohan here on the right side. Also got the inscription of the One Ring here on my left wrist."

Sidewinder continued to point out the various tattoos he had covering him, giving a brief description and backstory for each of them. Meanwhile, the rest were starting to change into their swimsuits, while Thermite was struggling to get his shirt off.

"Hey, uh, could one of you guys help me here? Bad shoulder, shirt…" he muttered.

"Yeah hang on, I got you covered amigo," Jackal responded, dropping his shirt onto the bench.

Stepping over to the other side of the bench, Jackal grabbed the loose end that Thermite had freed himself from and pulled it up and over the Texan's head, easily sliding it off the bad arm. Thermite started to gently press on the bandages, ensuring that it was still wrapped on tight enough.

"You able to move it well enough?" Jackal asked, returning to his gear.

"Should be able to. I'm able to do menial tasks, like do stuff on my phone, but that's about it for the time being," Thermite commented.

Meanwhile, the girls were actively talking in their changing room as they themselves were prepping to change into their swimwear.

"So what do you guys think of that Christian guy that's joined?" Ash inquired, pulling her top off, revealing the red bikini top she had underneath.

"I can't say much to give an opinion really. Guy's only been around for one day," Hibana replied.

"Likewise. I don't have much of an opinion yet myself," Ying added, undoing her hair from the bun she usually kept it in.

"He's pretty quiet," Valkyrie noted, "He said almost nothing on the drive up to the airport."

"Probably because he's with a bunch of people he really doesn't really know at all," Ash remarked, resting her sunglasses on top of her head.

The rest of girls nodded along in agreement, since that was really the best guess they all could've given as to what they thought of Sidewinder so far. Silence filled the gaps once more as they continued to switch into their swimwear. Ash had hers underneath her street clothes, the top matching with the bottom piece. Valkyrie was the same, but hers was a dark navy blue and Caveira had the same deal, but her outfit was a charcoal grey color compared to the others. Both Hibana and Ying had swimming leotards with Hibana's being a design of blue fading into black the further it went, and Ying had the same deal except it went from red, fading into black. Frost had a black bikini top, along with the bottom piece, but also had a bathing skirt wrapped around it.

"Interesting choice of swimwear," Valkyrie noted, looking over Ying and Hibana.

"It's mostly something that I swam in during my time with SDU, so for me it's just comfortable," Ying replied, smoothing down the sides.

"This was really the only swimwear I could find at the time when I bought some stuff awhile back. Not really a big deal for me, and like Siu said, this is actually somewhat comfortable," Hibana added.

While the girls were conversing about their swimsuits, Caveira was eyeing each of them, almost as if she were gauging something while she was leaned up against one of the lockers. After a few more minutes had passed, the trio of Ying, Hibana, and Frost started to make their way out of the locker room, with Valkyrie trailing behind them shortly after. Ash remained behind, somewhat digging through her bag with a slightly puzzled expression.

"I know my phone's here somewhere…"

Suddenly, hands made their way under her arms and quickly grabbed at her chest, squeezing both breasts. Ash's face immediately went red and she was about to shriek in surprise, but one of the hands swiftly covered her mouth, rendering her voiceless. As quick as it had happened, the hands removed themselves from Ash, allowing her to quickly turn around to see who her assailant was: Caveira was leaning up against the near locker, hands folded over her chest, laughing to herself.

"Taina, what the hell was that for?" Ash questioned, her face still burning red from embarrassment whilst she crossed her arms over her chest to cover her bust.

"Heheh, relax Eliza. Just wanted to see exactly what Aiden was feeling two nights ago," Caveira snickered as she started to strut out of the changing room.

"God you're irritable sometimes…."

"How long did it take you to notice that?"

Eliza rolled her eyes at the remark, earning more laughter from the Brazilian as she made her way back to the outskirts of the pool, adjusting her sunglasses as she finally got outside. Sidewinder and Jackal were already swimming about in the pool, both of them racing to see who could go back and forth the fastest. Echo was relaxing against the edge of the pool, most of his body except for his chest and head were submerged in the shimmering water with Ying sitting on the edge of the pool next to him. Thermite and Hibana were relaxing in some of the chairs that were poolside, the bandages on Thermite's shoulder visible for all to see. Valkyrie and Frost were at the far end of the pool, casually watching the races between Jackal and Sidewinder, both playfully betting on who would win the next one. Eventually her eyes settled on the guy she was looking for: Storm was sitting on the edge of the pool, practically where the middle was, hands clasped together in his lap with his legs dangling in the water, ever so slowly swinging them as he stared out into the nearby ocean. Nonchalantly she made her way over to him, taking a spot next to him as she glided her legs into the water herself.

"Oooo, water's a bit cold," Ash mentioned.

"Eh, you get used to it. It's when you start to get most of your body in the water is when you feel the rush of the cold creeping up. The water should warm up soon enough though given how hard the sun is beating down on us," Storm replied, somewhat rubbing his shoulder.

It had been about close to a month since the mission back in Courchevel, and Storm was still feeling the effects of it, albeit not as harshly as it was compared to when he was spending a fortnight in Paris, constantly writhing in agony and screaming through gritted teeth. His abdomen had healed up nicely, leaving a small visible scar as to where the bullet had struck, but he still had some bandaging on his shoulder where he was impacted. He figured that the shoulder injuries would fully heal, but at the same time he figured that there could also be the possibility of scarring.

"Your injuries are healing well," Ash commented, splashing the water a bit with her hand.

"Just a matter of when I get more," Storm smirked in response.

"I'd be the one inflicting those before you even got the chance to get hit by bullets," Ash retorted, splashing some water up at Storm.

"You really want to start this game?" Storm asked, splashing Ash back.

The two continued to keep flinging water at one another while both Sidewinder and Jackal swam by, practically in sync as their racing had pretty much slowed down to just plain fun between the two. Both swam back over to where Valkyrie and Frost where, both of whom were still in casual talks as they looked out at the ocean. Pausing for a brief moment, Sidewinder glanced over to his left: a small set of stone ruins stood tall close to the edge of the cliff and seemed to extend well up to about forty feet in height, possibly fifty, give or take. Staring at it, he swam over to the edge of the pool, hoisting himself up out of the water. Running a hand through his wet hair, he looked up towards the top of the ruins, shielding his eyes from the near unbearable sun.

"You see something Christian?" Jackal asked, wading his way over to the edge of the pool.

"Nah, just something that I've been meaning to visit for sometime. You can keep splashing about….I got some business to attend to," Sidewinder noted, starting to walk off.

Time: 3:02 P.M.

Pacing his way across the smooth ground, Sidewinder kept his focus on the ruins, his eyes scanning and analyzing every detail that it possessed. Approaching the base of the ruins, he quietly dipped around the corner of the exterior, and soon went inside the lower level of the ruins. It was dimly lit, except for the rays of sunlight that were passing through the openings and cracks in the stone, and the opening giving enough light to see as well. The room he had entered was rather empty, except for a bronze plaque that sat on top of a carved stone that was about three feet high. Approaching the plaque, he crouched down in front it, dusting off some of the sand and gravel that had gotten onto it, and quietly, he read the inscription aloud to himself:

"In memory of the brave Special Air Service members who gave their lives for the greater good of the world, we honor them and the legacy of the S.A.S with this commemoration:

Staff Sgt. Caleb Maddox

Sgt. David Webber

Officer Cadet Matthew Robinson

Lance Cpl. Blake Spears

Cpt. Zacharias Henderson

May these gentlemen find rest in God's good grace."

Sidewinder traced an imaginary line beneath the closing statement as he finished reading it aloud. The back of his mind started to tingle as he felt himself starting to recall distant memories from years past.

"If only there was more time to save you lot from being buried alive under the rubble. I would've done so...if it weren't for the falling debris that collapsed around us. It was like the world was ending….and god damn did it seem like it back at base. Successful? Heh, yeah the mission was successful, but it would've been better to see you guys back there with everyone. With James, Mark, Seamus, Mike…..damn, that would've been a helluva party."

Outwardly, he was chuckling to himself, but on the inside he could feel the emotional strain in his chest as he recalled the scenarios that happened on the day he was here in Ibiza while still a low ranking member of the S.A.S at the time. He was awarded a medal to commemorate his heroic efforts in an attempt to help save those who were trapped in the stone building, but it still tugged at him that he could've done better, he could have always done better. Reaching over his right shoulder with his left hand, he traced the pattern of the scar that was left on his body when part of the building fell on him. It practically rendered that arm immobile for some time with the way it struck him. Most of the wound had healed completely, except for scarring that was near his right shoulder blade. To remind himself of that day and the hell he went through, he got an angel's wing tattooed by it, giving it the impression that it had been clipped with some feathers fluttering off in the opposite direction of the scar. Continuing to stay by the plaque, Sidewinder absentmindedly began to draw patterns in the gravel that was beneath his feet. He didn't take note of how much time he had spent there as his mind continued to wander, his hands still running through the gravel as he looked down at the ground. Eventually, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the opening, and instinctively he whipped his up towards the entryway. Coming into it was a woman with shoulder length blonde hair, and two sleeves worth of tattoos and only one person crossed Sidewinder's mind: Valkyrie.

"Was wondering where you went," Valkyrie commented.

"Just been here," Sidewinder responded, brushing some hair out of his face, "How long have I been gone?"

"At least the past half hour, if not longer."

"Shit, didn't think I was gone that long. My bad."

Sidewinder scratched at his head as he continued to run his hand through the gravel, picking it up, and letting the gathered piles fall from his hand. Valkyrie looked on with little interest, but the plaque in the middle of the room caught her eye. Walking up to it, she crouched down in order to inspect it more closely. Slowly, she ran her fingers under the words that were etched into the bronze, with Sidewinder quietly looking on. Soon enough, she finished reading the inscripted words, her index finger gliding under the closing statement before she stood back up.

"I take it you were in the S.A.S yourself?" Valkyrie inquired.

"Yeah, but I started off with Scotland Yard, albeit briefly as a new recruit until I learned more about the S.A.S and then decided that a group like them was more of a fit for me. Actually thankful for the decision because otherwise I wouldn't have met the likes of James and Mark. Those two were my closest friends while we were still together and Seamus and Mike were more or less our mentors, so in a way, everything balanced out."

"Did you know any of the people on the plaque well enough?"

"Caleb and Zacharias were the two I knew best since I was originally in a platoon with them, and frankly I think I was with them when I first started out. Then the mission happened…" his voice trailed off as he let out a deep sigh.

Valkyrie even took a moment of silence to pay respect to the five who had been taken away from the world. It was always disheartening when anyone close to you passed, but depending on how they passed away, it could leave a person feeling extremely shitty once they learned the backstory.

"If only the building didn't collapse as quick as it did, I could've rescued most, if not all of them….and also if it weren't for all the fucking debris that was crumbling down onto us. Shit gave me a nasty fucking gash," Sidewinder mentioned, letting out a frustrated sigh.

Standing from his position, he showed his back to Valk, trying to point at where the scar on him was.

"Just follow the angel wing and you'll find it."

Reaching out, Valk gently placed her fingertips on where the wing started and slowly followed it up along Sidewinder's back. The design of the tattoo was certainly one of the most angelic ones she had seen, but her focus remained on finding the scar Sidewinder had mentioned. Eventually, she came across the section where the wing appeared to be clipped as a faded red line, probably about three or four inches long, ran down the Brit's back. It wasn't exactly a pretty sight too but then again, it was interesting to see something of the sort. Lightly, she traced the length of the scar with her forefinger until she reached the end point of it, taking an extra few seconds to look over the damage.

"It's certainly faded over time. How long ago did all this happen?" Valk questioned, still tracing over the scar.

"Five, maybe six years ago I think. It's still sort of fuzzy, but all I know is that we were trying to clear out a hostage situation and the terrorists were armed with bombs. They rigged this building here with them, and I guess they got what they wanted in killing some of our squad members," Sidewinder sighed.

Valk halted her progress in tracing and moved her hand up to Sidewinder's shoulder, giving it a reassuring tap.

"At least you're alive. I'm sure the others are thankful for that," Valk noted.

Sidewinder exhaled another sigh as he began making his way toward the entryway.

"True as it is, I sometimes feel like I should've been the one to take the fall rather than them. Yet, I feel like they would've wanted me to succeed and surpass them…"

Shrugging his shoulders, he exited the room, with Valkyrie going into a light jog to catch up with him. In the back of her mind, she was rather surprised to hear such history of Sidewinder. He was a decorated veteran as is, but like most people, he was stuck suffering with survivor's guilt from a previous mission. She knew it was a struggle to put up with, but from what she had seen from her experiences, it was only something that added to a person's thick skin, making them more resilient to whatever got thrown at them further down the line.

Time: 5:42 P.M.

"Christ...so much smoke," Storm remarked as he and Jackal walked through the hookah bar.

The two had gone up the stairs from the poolside and onto the second floor after Storm had asked Jackal to tag along with him on a walk through the building. The pool had started to bore him, so he and Jackal had made sure to at least throw their shirts back on before heading back inside, leaving the majority of the group by the pool, with the rest of the guys chatting with one another and the girls doing the same. Passing by the billiards hall, Storm looked out through the open window in the hall, where it fell down towards a small courtyard in the center of the building.

"Probably the best place to get some privacy here," Storm noted, continuing to walk down the hall.

"What is it that you even wanted to talk about?" Jackal questioned, keeping pace with Storm.

"I'll explain it all once we're down in the courtyard," Storm replied.

Moving down the corridor, the duo eventually made their way back down to the first floor and swung around the reception area and out into the courtyard. There wasn't much to it except a pair of white sofas on top of a raised wooden platform and a small lawn covered the rest of the small area that sat situated in the middle of the building. Moving over to the sofas, the two sat at separate couches, with Jackal giving himself enough room to let himself slouch and Storm simply laid himself out across the length of the sofa he was on.

"Right, so what is it that you wanted to talk about Aiden?" Jackal asked, stretching his arms.

Storm let out a deep sigh as he linked his hands across his chest.

"Ryad, how good are you at keeping things on a low level? Like, you know how to keep a secret hidden?"

"Amigo, aside from you, Elena, and Elias, I don't talk to many others, so you can trust me on this one."

Storm chuckled at the response.

"Right then….so, first off, do you know of PTSD? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?"

"The name sounds familiar. I've heard Gustave mention it before when he thought I had that when he diagnosed my insomnia. What exactly is it?"

"It's a lifelong struggle is what it is. When you're out and about doing various operations like I was during my time with PMCs, sometimes you see shit that you aren't supposed to do, or do such inhumane things to others that it will make you question life."

"So I take it you acquired it at some point?"

Storm silently nodded.

"I don't remember what year it was, but all I know is that there was some operation that my squad was sent to do somewhere in Southeast Asia. Some warlord by the name of Teng Zhi was running drug cartels, human trafficking, black market, the usual illegal shit you would find. This motherfucker was sick and twisted, often using children as young as seven to aid in his operations and in human trafficking, sometimes the kids were the people being sold off."

Jackal sat in silent shock as Storm continued on.

"Where the hell were we…..Laos. That's where we were sent. We had the intel telling us where his hideout was in the jungle, and when we finally arrived at the place, it was a shock to see who was guarding it. Fucking children, holding AKs in their hands along with average looking guards. We radio back telling them that there's children and that we're unsure as to how proceed. They just tell us, 'Fuck it, do what needs to be done.' That was extremely shocking to hear from our commander, but nonetheless we proceeded. Of course, we tried doing stealth tactics, but that went awry and ultimately we were discovered inside and everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, started unloading lead rain onto us. As much as we didn't want to do it, returning fire was a necessity and we managed to kill off most of the guards before heading inside, finding Zhi, and ending him. The scene of the operation when we walked back out of the main building was horrific…"

Storm nearly choked on his words as he uttered the last statement. Clearing his throat, he progressed with the tale.

"Stepping outside...it was like something that you would experience in a war. Bodies just strewn across the ground, blood endlessly spilled and staining the dirt ground….it was horrendous. Among the bodies, were also those children. All of us who took part in that unnecessary slaughter, had thousand yard stares for days on end. Our minds were plagued with the fact that we took innocent lives from people who were used against their will and abused to the point where they had to follow a cruel master's authority, or be punished, sometimes even executed. I left that PMC about a month after the whole ordeal since I didn't want my name to stay on that roster list and I wanted to be as far away from that place as possible. In the years following, there would be more and more unnecessary bloodshed that I took part in which ranged from bombing innocent villages, to performing biochemical attacks in order to flush out HVIs. My brain was mentally scarred, I was broken, and honestly I just felt dead inside after all was said done. I've told others that when I joined PMCs, it's because I wanted to prove I was strong, both physically and mentally. Yet, while they did test a great deal, sometimes it was too much to bear and eventually I decided to take a break from that lifestyle and try to find something else to do in order to ease my mindset, but, the haunting memories that were burned into my brain just kept calling me back to the wild and every time I'd try to act social or be social during outings, I sometimes felt like I was still on the battlefield and I would screw everything up at where I was. People became afraid of me, and I isolated myself from the world because of the monster I had transformed into. It wasn't who I was raised to be, and if my family had found out about my changing behavior...shit, they probably would've sent me to an asylum or something. In the end, judging by what Rainbow partakes in Ryad, I'm at least calm enough in this group that I don't have to worry about performing that shit ever again."

It was a lot to digest for Jackal. He didn't think Storm was such a bad guy, but upon hearing his backstory and what it was like working for those PMCs, it did make him see two different people. One was a ruthless soldier who took orders and executed, no matter the cost. The other was a man of quiet nature, but strong will and he had good people around. It was almost like he was staring into a space of light and dark, with no real balance between the two. The thoughts of it made his mind spin, and frankly, he also felt nauseous at the image of the dead bodies that Storm had to look at, and deal with no less. Silence would be the only thing that spoke for the two, as Jackal was still continuing to process everything in his head, and Storm stayed in his usual state of silence, the memories he spilled out starting to plague his mind once more.

Time: 7:51 P.M.

Most of the group was still gathered by the pool, but by this point they had all changed back into their street clothes and were sitting among the chairs that were scattered about. Sidewinder was keeping to himself as he flicked through his phone, Thermite was in a small cluster with Hibana, Echo, Ying, and Frost, and Caveira was casually chatting about with Ash and Valkyrie. After a few more minutes had gone by, Storm and Jackal emerged from the changing room, now fully back in their street clothing. There was still an unsettled look in Jackal's eyes, but the sunglasses he had with him were masking it while Storm's face remained stone solid from their conversation earlier. Storm lead himself and Jackal over to where Ash and Cav were sitting, with Storm taking a place next to Ash and Jackal sitting himself by Cav.

"Was wondering where you guys went," Ash commented.

"Just went about exploring the resort. Not much too it, but it certainly does provide," Storm responded, pulling his phone out.

"What'd you two end up checking out?" Caveira inquired, starting to put her hair up.

"Billiards hall, VIP Lounge, and the central courtyard. Only other things to check out really were the bars, but we weren't in the mood for them," Jackal replied.

Turning the screen on, Storm took a moment to check the time before stuffing the device back into his pocket. Leaning back in the chair, he rest his chin on his fist as he stared out into the distant horizon. The memories he had brought up earlier with Jackal were the only things that were swirling about in his head as he began to think back on them. The operation in Laos was what set his PTSD in motion, and now that he thought about it, is probably what also led to his silent, stone faced nature over time.

"Aiden."

"Hm?"

He didn't turn his head this time as he continued to keep staring out into space. A hand waved by in front of his face, and shortly after, he felt someone poking his cheek, causing him to turn to see Ash looking back at him with slightly worried expression.

"You okay? You're like zoning out over there."

"I'm fine. Just thinking over things…"

"It looks more than that."

Letting out a sigh, Storm put his head next to Ash's.

"I'll tell you all about it when we get back to base," he whispered.

Pulling his head back, he longingly stared back at Ash, almost as if he was ensuring that she understood him. A silent nod was what he was given in response and instinctively he went back to staring back out at the horizon line. He couldn't get his mind off the history he told Jackal, and if he was being honest, he wouldn't be able to forget those deeds for awhile. Sensing his own boredom, he stood up from his seat and scanned the rest of the group to see who else was available for conversation. Noting the lone Sidewinder, he strolled his way over to the Brit, taking the open spot next to him.

"Christian."

Sidewinder placed his phone down in his lap as he looked back at the American.

"Aiden, mate. Whatcha' think of this place after today?"

"Eh, it's nice. Just a bit small in my opinion."

"Yeah, I can agree with that, but hey, it has its benefits."

Storm nodded along in agreement.

"You get a chance to talk with Meghan?"

"When we were at the ruins, yeah."

"Ruins?"

Sidewinder instinctively pointed out the damaged stone castle in the distance.

"Those ruins there. Ended up visiting them for personal reasons."

"What's in the ruins?"

Sidewinder stood up from his seat and started to make his way over.

"Just follow and you'll see."

The two quietly made their way over to the ruined castle, with Sidewinder guiding Storm the same way he originally entered the place. Stepping into the room, Sidewinder pointed out the plaque to Storm as the tall American entered himself.

"Just read that and you'll know why I came here earlier."

Following his order, Storm walked up to the plaque, having to crouch down himself in order to read the inscription. Compared to Valkyrie, he took a bit more time to read the inscription, especially when it came to the names. Finishing the read, Storm nodded as he stood up.

"They must've been good people."

"The best mate. Some of my closest friends when I was in the S.A.S."

Storm turned on his heel to face Sidewinder, his hand extended to the Brit.

"Well, you got Rainbow now."

Sidewinder chuckled at the notion as he firmly gripped the man's hand in response. He knew Storm wasn't wrong, and that Rainbow was now his new family. Thankfully, it also reunited him with his previous squadmates, and it was something that he was really looking forward to in the future, for he could once more work again with those cherished teammates and at the same time, perhaps even pursue an interest in Valkyrie as he could not keep his eyes off her, even throughout the entire trip.

Time: 10:42 P.M.

The rec room was mostly empty and quiet for it was about the time of day where most of the operatives would be in their rooms at this point, but for tonight there were still a few lounging about in the room. IQ, Bandit, and Blitz were sitting back and watching the late night news from the couches. Mute was at the main table playing cards with Rook and Lesion, who was casually rolling his toothpick in between his fingers, and Thatcher was looking over reports from today's training sessions. For the majority of it, there was relative silence, except for when one of the three card players had an unfortunate turn of events for themselves as they let out groans of irritation. All was well in the room, until the current program on the television suddenly switched on the three GSG 9 members.

"Vat iz zis?" Bandit angrily questioned.

"A technical error?" Blitz wondered.

On the screen, the words "Breaking News" were flashing on the screen and soon enough the feed cut to a blond woman standing in front of what looked like an almost mess from a film. Vehicles were blown up, with some still in flames as firefighters were in the background doing their best to douse the fires. Wreckage was strewn across the road ranging from shredded tires to chunks of metal laying out on the road. Both Bandit and Blitz's mouths dropped at the scene.

"Mike, you may vant to see zis," IQ called out.

Looking up from the reports he had, Thatcher's face almost seemed as if his soul had just left his body as he stared at the screen. Moving from his seat, he walked over to the couches, standing behind the one that Bandit was sitting in.

"Evening everyone, Abigail Mulholland here with an urgent newscast here in Courchevel…"

"Courchevel?!" Thatcher shouted.

"...live on the scene here as you can see is the wreckage of three vehicles that were part of the convoy leading known White Mask member, Jourdain Girard, to the prison over in Paris," Abigail continued.

Thatcher could feel his throat tighten, along with anger rising in him as he heard the name 'Girard' be read aloud. He knew damn well that Girard had been roughed up by Sledge and Caveira when their squad had captured him at the chalet in the Alps, but the fact that the man had escaped his confinement in just a little over a month seemed suspicious.

"We are being led to believe that during Girard's transfer, the White Masks launched an ambush attack on the convoy, ultimately freeing Girard, where he is now rumored to be hiding out in the woods, and potentially up in the French Alps. Police are already commencing an investigation in order to quickly track down his whereabouts as we speak," Abigail finished.

Thatcher, with silent anger, slammed his fist into the couch, nearly causing Bandit to jump from his seat.

"Bloody fuckin' hell…" Thatcher murmured.

The situation had now looked bleak with Girard back out in the open world and not behind bars. Thatcher couldn't stress enough how pissed he was with the news. He had spent months tracking down where Girard was to begin with and he was happy enough once the man was captured and put behind the cold bars of jail. Now that Jourdain had escaped from his confinement, it sparked a burning inner rage inside the eldest member of the S.A.S and he was just about ready to throw stuff across the room since he had no idea on what to do now.