Once Six received the clearance for the op, she alerted the entire team to the planning room to discuss the detail of the mission. The entire crowd sat in silence as her face veered deep into their eyes. This mission could prevent another Bartlett-scale attack.

"We've just received clearance from Homeland Security. We're moving in immediately once we get our team ready. I'm expecting complete and quick discretion with the mission, and an utmost importance on civilian lives. These kids are one of America's brightest. If even a single life is lost it'll be a devastating blow to both Rainbow and the world." Her words spoke waves of nerves for this missions importance. "I'm leaving Mike and Alexsandr in charge of this operation and for the ground team in Berkeley. Eliza will lead a second team down in Mexico to extract an HVT to stop the weapons smuggling of the Cartel that assisted the White Masks. Six out."

"You heard her everyone. All those listed for the Berkeley mission get ready for take off." Mike began. "As for the team in Mexico, we'll also be . making sure your equipment is secured. The teams will try to coordinate with each other to find out where and who the targets are."

"Will we get assistance in Mexico?" Gilles raised this hand.

"Considering the amount of corruption the nation has with its cartels it's hard to say, we'll do our best to work with the Federal Police." Mike finished. "That's it, Berkeley is Team Alpha, Mexico is Team Bravo. We'll try to keep in contact during the duration of this mission. From now on, this operation is called Red Spring, everyone is dismissed."

Because of the larger number of people on the operation they couldn't take a private jet as they did the mission prior. They boarded a small civilian airliner, most of its occupants being the team themselves. Isaac sat quietly in his row of seats, right next to nobody. He enjoyed the silence of the flight, the eventual announcements and dings of airplane updates filled up the space as the hours passed. A flight to Sacramento from Birmingham was long, so there was little activity.

Few people chatted. Most of the team had fallen asleep or simply looked out their windows in boredom. Mike was the first one to come next to Isaac, not bothering to sit next to him.

"Change of plans, Mark and Grace are joining Team Alpha." Mike explained.

Isaac curves a brow. A sudden team change was unusual by Special Forces standards. "Why's that?"

"We're getting assistance in Mexico, people more suited for the role. Six figures that the techies are more suited for California."

"That makes sense, kids make robots for fun there," Isaac deducted. "The baddies could make weapons out of them."

"Exactly, Mexico isn't very technologically advanced in the Cartel department." Mike joked. "Just letting the team know."

"Got it."

Mike left. Isaac declined into his chair and looked over the dossier for the mission. This Commander Che figure seemed charismatic, recruiting already a hundred members into his idea of the White Masks. What disappointed him was whether or not he was a White Mask, the clues seemed muddy at best. He scanned around the paper, looking at the sources before a name caught his eye. Isaac's wired fired, he could've sworn he heard that name before.

Who is Hillary Stark? It came in a fleeting moment before realization hit him like a truck. Isaac remembered exactly who she was, and he felt his insides turn.

His thoughts were interrupted when a familiar voice rang out, Mei Lin's smaller frame in front of the seats. "Hello Isaac, mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all," Isaac smiled. "Take a seat."

Mei Lin walked over his legs and into the seat next to him. She made a contented sigh and made herself comfortable. "Thank you, I didn't really want to hear Masaru snoring all flight."

"Not surprised he's asleep, not much to do on a plane without his drone." Isaac shrugged.

"Yes but, he's a loud snorer." She chuckled. "I would sit with Tze Long, but I'm afraid he's more interested in talking to James."

She motioned to the two operators across the rows laughing and chatting away. "Tze Long has always been friendly with the SAS."

"Better to be friends than enemies on the team."

Mei Lin raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Too many people here butt heads," Isaac explained. "Ela doesn't seem to like me, or anyone for that matter. You don't like Shuhrat—"

"—I have a good reason not to." Mei Lin quickly interjected. "He's a liability to civilians lives and the mission!"

"But he has his uses in the team," Isaac said. "The Russians, you see, realized that the mission requires sacrifice. From what I've seen, they're willing to finish the mission at whatever the cost."

"I don't think he's still a good asset still," Mei Lin replied. "He's more of a detriment than a useful tool."

The two remained quiet after that. Shuhrat was on the mission team for Mexico, any cause for discourse before a mission was bad. Isaac said nothing else, he didn't want to escalate the conversation any further. Instead he tried to change the focus on to something more temperate.

"Have you ever been to California?"

"No, I haven't. I heard it's very nice! Aren't you from there?"

"I am actually, born and raised." Isaac smiled. This was better than heading down a route of complicated relationships. "I can tell you more about California if you like."

"I would love to hear about it, I wasn't around yet when when Rainbow did their missions here," Mei Lin recalled. Isaac smiled, this was much more comfortable to talk about. The two began to chat amongst themselves, the noise around the plane beginning to drown. A few seats ahead of them, Mike peeked around his head and frowned. Isaac seemed to be getting too friendly with the females of the team.

"I don't like the look of this," Mike sighed. Besides him Mark slept, and Jon read a magazine. "You see it?"

"What," Jon looked up, "Isaac and Mei Lin?"

"No Isaac and Aleksandr. Of course those two you knob!" Mike hushed. "They're getting too friendly."

Jon rolled his eyes. "So what, it's good that Isaac was quick to make friends. Better than most of the people who joined in the last three years."

"There's difference between making friends and getting into a relationship Jon. That puts the team at risk," Mike explained. "I've been doing this shit longer than most you have been alive. I understand why some people simply shag in the team, they do it out of stress or boredom. But when you start adding love into the mix, then you got a shit cake."

"Maybe there's been relationships on the team but no ones come forward," Jon suggested, flipping a page. "Maybe they're sneakier than you thought they were."

"Will both of you shut up already," Mark called out, covered in a blanket and a blindfold. "I'm trying to bloody sleep."

"Pipe it, Mark," Mike tapped his forehead, chuckling quietly. "The adults are talking."

Team Alpha arrived in Sacramento after the flight finally landed only an hour after midnight. The flight dropped off Team Bravo in an airport in Texas, closer to the border with the assistance of DEA and Border Agents. the team grudgingly exited the plane, eyes baggy andy limbs aching. They didn't check through the regular process, rather taking special acceptance with Homeland Security.

They were met in the tarmac with a few trucks and several agents of the Homeland Security, awaiting their arrival. The senior agent, an older man with a short crop of gray hair and a face of hard wrinkles, waited patiently, his suit pressed and dark. Around him, two other younger agents, a younger fair woman, and a tall tanned man. Protégés it seemed like. Mike was the first to greet him, giving him a firm handshake.

"Team Rainbow, your reputation precedes you," the agent nodded. "I'm Agent-in-Command Will Foster, Six gave me the details of your plan. We'll escort you to our base of operations. Agents Reed and Cortez will lead you to our transport."

"Understood Foster, awaiting our orders." Mike stood straight. The rest of the team and the other two young agents began making their way towards parked SUVs just off the side of the tarmac. Once everyone was in, they drove from the airport and made their way to the Bay Area.

"Hello everyone, I'm Agent Shannon Reed and this is Agent Aaron Cortez," the woman began, explaining herself to a group of the team inside their SUV. "We'll be assisting you in the operation. If you have any questions, you can report to us or to our senior Agent Foster."

"Understood Agent Reed," John nodded. "Where are we heading?"

"We're heading to a house we converted to a base of operations just south of Albany," Cortez answered. "For the meantime we've assigned hotel rooms nearby for you to stay at."

"Hotels? I like the sound of that," Jack smiled. "Everything complimentary?"

"As long as it's in the name of Counter Terrorism, yes."

The group inside the car smiled and chuckled among themselves. Isaac remained a bit quiet, getting a call from his radio.

"Attention Team Alpha," Baker's voice began. "From this moment on, codenames only. Thatcher out."

The agents looked up to them giving a courteous, but a nervous smile, Isaac read. They don't know how to handle a group of highly trained military operatives who could've just done this on their own. Needless to say, they're just greenhorns. "Alright team, you heard the man. Codenames only, try to refrain from using real names."

Agent Reed tried to speak up. "Sorry sir, er, Agent?"

"Just call me X-ray."

"X-ray, the situation is delicate. Agent Foster wants to emphasize the importance of civilian life. Another attack like Bartlett, and all our asses are on the line."

Isaac shrugged. "Don't see why you're telling me, I'm not in command."

"I just assumed—"

"Let's not assume," Cortez whispered. "They're Rainbow after all."

"Oh, right," Reed looked back into the crowded SUV, seeing the faces of the ever diverse Team Rainbow. She knows that this was just a fraction of the team, but the faces of the men and women said enough. They knew what this mission is—how important— and they don't need some new meat to tell them. She shrunk back into her seat, not saying another word. They have their job, and they're just fine on doing it quietly.

The Mexican heat was bothersome to Alexsandr, the Russian people didn't live in such weather daily. Eliza seemed fine, he thinks. She grew up in the heat in her Israeli homeland. The rest of the team seemed to do the same thing, waiving fans in packed cars or dressing lightly for the weather.

After their assistance with the Border Patrol, the DEA helped them locate the general vicinity of the Cartel, simply known as the Los Esqueletos, in the state of Sinaloa. They were in the city of Mazatlán, a prime tourist spot. Perfect for any gringo to waltz in and get anything if he knew the right people.

Alexsandr enjoyed the nice scenery of the ocean from the hotel, sipping a decent attempt of vodka. Eliza sooner appeared behind him, knocking on the glass slide door. "We need you your highness."

Alexsandr sighed, resting his cup on the table. "C'mon Eliza, let an old Russian man enjoy his vodka."

"You can enjoy it when we finish the mission."

Alexsandr conceded and got up, following inside the room, filled with mission boards, laptop computers, and firearms. The team sat around Eliza's planning board, filled with pictures of possible members, plans, and tracings. Alexsandr took a seat next to Elena, who wiped a piece of her Black Mirror patiently.

"Alright team, we don't have the luxury of having plenty of government assistance this mission unlike our other team mates," She stated bluntly, "we have to act quick, and we have to act as soon as we can."

"So what's the plan then?" Tze Long asked. "How are we going to get assistance."

"We will be getting assistance, but not in the form of the government. Six manage to get into contact with a local militia that's managing to beat out the cartels in certain states. They've recently began starting operations here."

The team looked at each other apprehensively. This unheard of, taking the help of a local force that wasn't organized. Eliza noticed the tension, acting swiftly to defuse it.

"I understand it's not a safe source, but it's the best we have. Whatever assistance we got from the government should be arriving soon, however we have to act fast."

"Who is the contact and where are we meeting them?" Alexsandr raised his hand.

"The contact," Eliza pointed to a picture of a tanned man, with dark hair and a Royale beard. "Is Mateo Ruiz Gutierrez, a up and comer in the Guardians Defensores."

Elena chuckled. "She butchered that."

Eliza gave a disapproving scowl. "As I was saying, Gutierrez is a former Marine Force Recon operator who came to Mexico to join the anti-cartel militia movement. They've been making strides in the state of Michoacán, and have been branching off, latest attempts in fighting in Jalisco and Sinaloa."

"So this guy has some experience against these bastards?" James asked.

"Yes. And we also have some help from the Federal Police group GOPES coming in to assist us. That's all we have from them."

James crossed his arms. "And that might be?"

"It's a Carmen Villegas. She's a GOPES operator who was recently asked by Six to assist us in our endeavours."

Shuhrat seemed to straighten up when he heard the woman's name, something that Alexsandr had noticed. He raised his eyebrow curiously at the quiet man, usually nonplussed about new people and names. Alexsandr does recall Shuhrat participating with another operator in Latin America in the past, but he can't recall who it was with.

He slightly judged Shuhrat's shoulder as Eliza continued with her presentation, whispering his native tongue. "Shuhrat, you know this woman?"

"We've met before, during a mission."

That caused a small smile to come out the older Russian's lips. He suddenly stood up, stretching his arms.

"Dah, it is settled. Shuhrat and I will meet the new people. Where are they waiting?"

"They'll be waiting here at this local bar just a few blocks away," The picture she pointed at showed a small bar, with fluorescent lights of dancing girls and deals flashing, "around 11 PM tonight. I don't want any trouble happening here Alright? We're just meeting them and bringing them back to your HQ."

"Relax, I doubt people there will be too sober to notice us." Alexsandr said with a smile. Eliza frowned, looking to the clock. It was almost 10 PM, almost time for them meet.

"Hurry then, and make sure that you come back intact."

The two began to make their way to the door, hiding their pistols in their pants. Alexsandr let out a hefty chortle. "When have we ever?"

A/N: and so operation Red Spring officially begins! Kinda short I know, at least compared to my other chapters and I think a little rushed but I didn't want to starve you guys an extra week. I also did some research and found out that Chinese naming conventions are Last Name then First Name, so I've been saying Ying's name wrong this entire time! Apologies to any Chinese reader.

So far, I've introduced two new OCs into the story: Carmen "Arrow" Villegas by Ferrebee and Mateo "Loco" Ruiz Gutierrez by MaximumSalt. I'd like to remind to all of you just in case, people will die! If it happened to be an OC of yours, I'm sorry!

And on a side note, I'm thinking of doing a Fortnite story full of fights, friends, drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Based off the ever-so-popular Battle Royal, of course. I'll have a vote up on my profile to decide or not whether it'll be an SYOC or not.

Thanks for reading! Leave a review and tell me what you thought.