Watchpoint Gibraltar, Iberian Peninsula, Europe

Adrian huffed as he hefted the barbell upwards as he laid on his back, the faux leather of the bench sticking to his back. The last week or so he'd begun an increasingly demanding exercise regime to get his body back to top shape, he was getting close but wasn't all there. The barbell weight was about thirty pounds lighter than he was used too and he could already feel his right arm more than he'd like, the fracture had torn muscle which took time and patience. Not exactly foreign concepts but they annoyed him all the same, still pushing himself past his limits only risked a new injury and if that happened, he'd probably just shoot himself at that point; he wasn't sure how much longer he could deal with the tedium of being base ridden.

Lowering the bar, he exhaled a breath as he prepped himself to heave the hefty metal bar once more. Pushing up with all his might he could feel his arms wobbling in their resolve, pushing through the discomfort he racked the barbell with a light clang. Laying there a few seconds he begrudgingly pushed himself up as sweat started to roll into his eyes. Sitting there on the bench he wiped his sweaty hair back as he glanced around the room, it was moderately filled with various members from around the base, most he didn't recognize but he did recognize Amari not far from himself. Squatting with a barbell that looked like the weights would snap the metal bar in half at any second. He let out a quiet scoff of appreciation, even on his best days he never lifted anything close to that, honestly it always impressed him just how fucking much some people could handle. Though he was also glad Barbie wasn't here, the horn-dog of a man wasn't one to reserve his feelings not least of all around strong women, the Aussie would unabashedly try his luck with the Egyptian despite Adrian's warnings. Knowing Fareeha, well Adrian wouldn't be surprised if he never saw Liam again, lucky for them both he was out on a mission and wouldn't be back till later today.

Wiping his face down with a towel he stood up, a hot shower calling his name. Walking out of the gym he gave a passing nod to Amari as he walked past her; when the door slid open the crisp, clean air became apparent and much appreciated from the humid, sweaty, and stale air that filled the gym. The crew quarters were only a short walk from where he was, it wasn't long until his door glided open with a whoosh revealing the still mostly spartan accommodations. His bed still laid mostly untouched, with most of the sheets forming a makeshift cot on the floor next to his arsenal of guns. In truth the only new addition in his months of habitation were more weapons, it suited him fine, he'd never had much with him back home anyway. Walking closer he noticed something on his desk that hadn't been there earlier, walking closer he picked it up between his fingers. Holding it up in front of him it seemed to be a small cartoon rabbit hooked to a thin piece of metal.

"What the…Athena how did this get in my room?" He questioned the omnipotent A.I.

"Miss Song dropped it off earlier."

"Hmm." Looking closer at it, he realized it resembled the logo adoring her jumpsuit, "Leave it to the kid to get me a present from her own brand." He chuckled to himself.

"To quote, she said, "What kind of lame stuff would he want anyway? Besides it's the thought that counts, not that a gift from me is anything less than perfect.' End quote."

"Yeah, that sounds about right…wait Athena how did she get into my room in the first place?"

"…"

"Athena?!"

He sighed as he gingerly began removing his clothes, can't get a straight answer from even the A.I, what has the world come to. Tossing his used garments in a vague direction across the room while grabbing something fresh, he walked into the bathroom and set the shower temperature for a soothing warmth, get some heat to loosen the muscles. Stepping in he swore at first, the water scalding his body before eventually settling in as the sweat washed off. The only thing he'd miss when serving under the UNSC again would be the lack of a good wash whenever he felt like it, most things he'd adjust back to no problem, but losing such a commodity like a reliable shower? Fuck that'll be hard. As one of his old COs used to say, 'If you can't enjoy the damn shower you haven't been working hard enough'.

Leaning his head against the tiled wall in front of him he closed his eyes taking in the soothing ambiance. He felt himself drifting into a daydream when a reverberating crack like a gunshot snapped his eyes open and set his heartbeat racing as adrenaline coursed throughout his body. Looking around frantically he was ashamed to find the cause was only a shampoo bottle that had fallen off the ledge. Was he getting too comfortable at Overwatch that even something so diminutive could set him on edge, or was the lack of action finally getting to him? The latter held so truth, his sleep had become more…restless. Sleeping from desire as opposed to necessity led to his mind wandering in the dark, his dreams taking him to moments he'd rather forget. The sooner he was back in the field the better.

Shutting off the water, he walked out onto the chilling floor of the small but private bathroom. Drying himself off, he took a brief look in the mirror, his hair having grown out past what he was used too as well as a thick stubble beginning to take root on his chin. Adoring a pair of lose sweatpants he walked back out into his room only to be greeted with a surprise guest sitting at his desk. Doctor Ziegler was examining his TACPAD that looked like it'd been put through a meat grinder though he had to admit the things were durable as all hell. It's a miracle it wasn't being held together by duct tape and gum at this point.

She looked up from her idle examination at the sound of his footsteps, "Didn't mean to barge in but the door simply opened and well I suppose I made myself at home."

"Huh seems the base's system are a little faulty today." He remarked as he shot a brief glare at the ceiling, knowing Athena would take the hint. "That aside, anything in particular I can help you with Doc?"

"Just checking in with your recovery, Winston is eager to have you back in the field, seems there's an important mission he's planning he wants you on. He wanted to ask you if you felt ready but knowing you, you'd agree even if your legs were broken." She grinned as he took a seat on the edge of the bed before jokingly chastening him, "Though this is a serious report so don't expect this to be a fun time."

"Well in that case my eyes are up here." He flicked two fingers from his chest to his eyes.

Smirking she flipped out a small transparent data pad from the inside of her coat, "Alright onto business. How has your body been feeling in general, just during your average daily routine?"

"Good, my left leg feels a bit stiff in the morning but that might also be the exercise."

"And what about during those exercises? Anything that feels off?"

"Not really, my exercises aren't as intense as I'd like but in UNSC standards I'm still within acceptable range." He admitted honestly, "I feel I'm ready, more than just wanting to get the hell out 'Sides if the big man is actually planning this mission out, I doubt it'll be anything less than in a few days, leaving me more time to train."

"Well, I don't know if there's much I could've done to deter you anyway, far as I can tell you're healing nicely."

"ODSTs are notoriously stubborn, but that means I'm cleared?"

"Mhmm…though only if I say so." She shot him a cheeky smile.

"Blackmail? That doesn't seem very ethical for a doctor, what the hell could you even need anyway?"

"There's a medical shipment coming in from an old friend of ours, usually my assistants and I are left to carry those medical supplies but well Karla is sick, and Mendez is recovering from a strain."

"Oh, I see where this is going."

Another grin, "So you'll do it?"

"Asking a poor, injured soul like myself? Does your cruelty know no bounds doctor?"

Angela stood up, "Well I do dress up as a witch on Halloween." Walking over she patted him on the head much to his dismay before walking out his door with a wave, from out in the halls he heard her call out, "Oh and you should see Winston about your next assignment when you get the chance!"

Sitting there dumbstruck, he finally regained his senses as a plan started to formulate in his head, "Athena alert me when Liam White arrives on base please, and tell him this for me, 'I know about Captain Zihao's daughter.' He'll understand what it means."

"Affirmative, is there anything else I can help you with?"

He didn't respond immediately, mulling over his words, "Uh yeah…is it true that Angela would dress up as a witch on Halloween?"

"That is correct, Overwatch would have annual celebrations for the holiday and she particularly enjoyed that specific costume. It was quite popular if my memory banks remember right."

"I see…"

"…"

"…"

"Adrian."

"…do you have any images on hand?"

There's always a weird feeling of being alone in a room that's normally bustling even if you've been in it hundreds of times before, in Adrian's case it was the lab. Having taken Angela's advice he came to see what the ape had in store only to enter an empty room whose lights flickered on a he passed the entrance. It was an odd feeling to be here on his own, though it gave him time to look around, see details he usually never noticed before such as the trash bin filled with banana peels or the numerous jars of empty peanut littered around the workshop. It seemed the monkeys and bananas truly were inseparable though he wouldn't fault the ape for his taste, it seemed there were a few things they can agree on at least.

Far in the back corner he noticed something that most definitely had not been there the last time he'd visited; such an item was so large he'd be damn near blind to have missed it. Walking over to it the lights popped on in front of him, lighting his path to his destination, a pair of charred drop pods with several wires flowing out of them. Walking up to them, he ran his hand across the angled yet smooth metal, a wave of unintelligible emotion flooded him as his mind filled with the war, all his drops that he'd done till now rushed through him like a wave.

Peaking his head inside the one on his right, he instantly knew it was Liam's from the pin-up attached to the top of his pod. Most ODSTs, hell most soldiers carried a lucky charm of some sort with them, usually a picture. With ODST's, it was tradition to pin it to the top of your pod for good luck and a safe drop; obviously nothing was guaranteed but it helped rationalize those who died with the idea that they'd simply forgotten hang up their picture. A bit callous sure, but it was more so consolation for those that did make it, that as long as they kept with the tradition, they'd be safe. An idea asking to be crushed sure, but this late into the war and most people were trying to find hope wherever they could, if they could manage to drum up the optimism in the first place. Turning to lighter thoughts, he briefly thought how the UNSC was probably singlehandedly keeping physical photography alive, easier to keep a simple picture on hand as opposed to a holograph frame.

Speaking of which, Adrian chastised himself as he made his way towards his pod and nestled himself inside the familiarly cramped space. Looking up he frowned when he noticed his picture wasn't there. Tapping his foot against the metal floor in thought, he had a brief memory of it sailing down in front of his face when he'd popped out of slipspace over Africa upon his initial arrival here. Looking down towards his feet, he thought he spied the white edge of a faded polaroid sticking out of a gap of peeled paneling and torn circuits. Gingerly reaching down, he peeled back the metal plating and reached his fingers inward, feeling the glossy texture of a photograph he pulled it out with a certain reverence as he lightly flicked the dust and grime off it. Smiling he stared at the picture of his family celebrating his little sister's birthday, Chloe smiling as she showed off the newest book she'd gotten, titled Land of Darkness, his mother and father laughing warmly in the background at her elation. He was a bit ashamed he'd forgotten such a memento, the excuse of being preoccupied might've worked back home but here he had enough free time to pick up a new hobby.

Sticking the photo into his pocket, he told himself he'd place it in his helmet later for safe keeping, until then he relished in the familiarity of being in the pod. A certifiable death trap that was both terrifying and exhilarating, normally he probably wouldn't consider this tis bucket homey but it's really all he had of the UNSC.

"Ah, I see you found your drop pod. I've tried to avoid stripping it too much, wasn't sure how much sentimental value it held for you." The voice of Winston turned him from his musings.

It wasn't often he saw eye to eye with the ape, but…had the whole thing been scrapped by that glorified dwarf Torbjorn he might've lost his only polaroid. He gave a brief nod of appreciation as he stepped out awkwardly, clearing his throat he moved towards the center of the room as Winston walked in from the entrance, "What's the mission?"

"Quick as ever to the point." Winston waddled over to the holographic table in the center of the room, "Though I want to make it clear from the start, this will be an entirely voluntary mission."

Adrian scoffed, "Like I really have a choice? Or is this because I'm still not 'ready'?"

"Nothing of the sort, this time it's because of the danger involved." The words caused Adrian to raise an eyebrow, beckoning Winston to continue, "The plan…as it is…will have little to no oversight or information."

"Doesn't sound like much of a plan."

"Yes…that's true enough but as it stands there's not much else, we can do. We're looking to finally put an end to this game of cat and mouse with Mr. Kim."

"The arms dealer." Winston nodded, "Did the oligarch finally spill the information?" As far as he remembered that was the whole point of nabbing him, Talon ties aside, keeping him alive was to finally find the arms dealer.

"As much as he could, he didn't know specifically where he was at any moment, but he gave us likely locations, we've spent the last few weeks meticulously scanning every possible location."

That would explain the high rate of deployments, Liam seemed to always be out on a mission, "That mean we finally have a solid lead?"

"As solid as we can get with such an elusive target." Winston pulled up a satellite picture of a heavily walled compound, "This is the location of his next exchange, a deeply isolated garrison within the jungles of Indonesia. We're not sure who the buyers are, how fortified it's going to be, or how armed his protection is going to be though I feel confident that it's some sort of paramilitary organization. Part of our lack of intel is that we simply couldn't fly in close enough, RADAR detected us even above the clouds."

Such an operation wouldn't be unusual, if they were going on the offensive it was usually going in blind, but that still left a question, "What's the goal?"

Winston stared at the holographic image for a second before responding, "Kill the arms dealer and recover whatever it is he's selling. We don't know much, but word from the Oligarch was Mr. Kim had started dabbling in more lucrative items recently that even we have trouble getting. Anything we can use would greatly benefit our efforts, and we may get lucky with something that helps you get back home."

That caught his attention, it felt rare for him to go on a mission for his own benefit while he'd been here, "How do we get in though? If RADAR is all seeing as you say…"

"Hmph I was hoping you'd ask." Winston puffed out his chest a bit, "Using a rough approximation of your drop pods, I've manufactured some of my own." That caught Adrian's attention even further. "Not perfect by any means, and more fitted for stealth but they serve the same purpose. Much like how you've detailed your own experiences though a bit different, you'd be dropping from high above their scanning range, technically still in atmosphere through only barely. The speed of the pods, their small size, and their unique design means they'll be nigh unreadable to most RADAR technicians, and if they do appear as a blip, it will be so fast most will chalk it up to a hiccup in the system."

Adrian nodded, "Wetwork and recovery…alright." He looked a bit closer at the pictures and the rough recreation of their target's location.

"That's…that's it? I haven't even begun to outline the danger; you'll be on your own from the moment you leave the aircraft. Dropped miles into enemy territory we can only assume Kim's buyers control the land for miles! You'd have to fight your way out until you get to a spot safe enough for evac, that's assuming they're not blocking long-range communications and more than that! The only point Kim would be outside his moving fortress of a vehicle is to conduct the trade, you'll have to catch him during the trade and then go through god knows how many enemies just to reach the item being bought! You'd – you'd-" Winston stopped as he had to catch his breath.

Adrian leaned back from examining the compound, "That's it."

"Well I feel I should've mentioned this at the start, you won't be alone, I figured-"

Adrian cut him off, "I'll bring Barbie."

"Are you sure? We haven't even discussed this with him, let alone filled him in on the dangers of the operation."

"It's him and no one else."

Winston stared agape at the audacity of the ODST, before closing his mouth and shaking his head, "If…if you say so. This meet is planned for two and a half days from now. Get Liam on board and we'll go from there I suppose…Are you sure-?"

Cutting him off again Adrian spoke curtly, "Once I ask him, I know he'll agree." That's how confident Adrian was. With nothing left to discuss, Adrian took his leave mulling over how the two of them would go about completing their objective when Athena's voice moved him from his thoughts.

"Adrian you wished me to remind you when Liam White has returned, I am pleased to announce he has."

"Thanks, and uhh…scrap the bit about Captain Zihao's daughter."

"As you wish."

That wasn't originally why he wanted to talk to him, but the reminder worked just as well, hell he didn't even need to go searching as she walked out onto the base's exterior to see Barbie walking off the Orca. Calling to grab his attention, Adrian jogged over to his brother in arms.

"Jesus just off the plane and already hounded, I know you missed me Adrian but there's a thing called time apart." The Aussie joked.

Adrian rolled his eyes in amusement, "You couldn't function without me."

"Heh sure, did ya need something?"

"Deployment in two days, want you to watch my back, you in?"

"Is that even a question?"

Adrian grinned, "Hoped not, it'll be just like old times."

"Odds stacked against us to a point we constantly question why we took it on in the first place? Just the way I like it."

Adrian slapped his friend on the back as he began filling Liam in on the plan, there was a lot to done in preparation, anything less and they'd be enjoying an early grave.