An early and heavy snow had started to hit all around central and northern Europe, blanketing the place rather heavily in a short time with its silent, white beauty. The temperatures had dropped, leaving everything well frozen over afterward.
Two weeks had now passed since the incident. Or, it should be said, the successful mission that managed to prevent any potential, further incidents, thanks to the quick thinking of a couple of storied mercenaries.
Ralf and Clark had gone to investigate various places around the city they had marked off as potential sites; indeed, they uncovered what was all but certain to be an illegal explosives factory, though it did not have much left in it, thankfully. They were able to glean that, most likely, the bulk of the chemicals had been used for that massive shipment already, and given the six had culled nearly forty heads between them, had very little to work with afterward. But there were enough remnants there to at least let them know that they indeed found the place, as any other places around had turned up empty.
Furze was eventually uncovered, as well. Ralf had quietly passed along the information to Adelheid...and soon after, Adel had passed information back saying that the man was no more, finally tying off that loose end in a rather brutal and bloody fashion, along with a couple more of his cronies, all but uprooting the organization, or the scraps that were left. Anyone else had likely scattered to the wind, either to hide, or to try to fall in with others, as Adel had explained they would try to do.
Ralf and Clark had simply made sure stuff was cleaned up after him. They knew that part was his fight to finish.
Further documents uncovered that this particular syndicate was using their slightly haphazard explosive manufacturing to perhaps get in good with some of the more heavily armed places, perhaps in trade. After they had been cut loose from the Bernsteins, they had fallen out of favor, losing a lot of their pipelines.
It turned out Furze had popped up again in the first place due to a completely different rivalry with someone, which led to him finding out about the massive culling that spring a few months back, as it had been discussed somewhat in hushed tones...almost like a warning. This, in turn, led to him discovering Adelheid's involvement, and remembering the trade he had going with his father years ago. He had seen what the young man and his associates had done, and as such tried to stay his hand by threatening bystanders, since he had heard through the grapevine that the incident at the warehouse those months ago with the hostages had deeply affected the young man. Those explosives would have likely become bombs at some point for a far worse situation than than a couple of guys in a tower with sniper rifles, and if they had gotten hold of more resources, things could have gotten very bad, indeed.
But, thanks to Ralf and Clark's quick thinking and a successful mission from the entire group, they could consider it buried.
Adel and Whip had spent a little more time together lately, as they would after their more harrowing fights. While both of them fought with no issues at all, neither of them liked the results. Neither liked taking lives, but they knew that certain types of evil, despicable people would continue to come back to haunt them, as well as continue hurting others, so they did what they could to remove them. But afterward, they liked to spend time with each other, remembering that their caring sides were what they kept to the forefront. Sometimes just lying together in the room, near one another, was enough to do this. As always, the way they would just unload their thoughts on one another was excellent therapy in and of itself.
Spending some time out in the snow, getting more in touch with their younger sides again, likewise helped the two of them very much.
Duo Lon and Leona, both Ralf and Clark had noticed, had been decidedly closer after this incident. While they were far more subtle than Adel and Whip were, while the two would sometimes sit around somewhere, it was noticeable that the two had a greater bond than before. Whatever it was, only they knew, but only they would have to know. They would sometimes spend time sitting high up on various buildings, as they liked to do, in the chill air, overlooking everything, sometimes talking about random things. Other times, they would just sit near one another in silence. Sometimes they would have on the harsh, underground metal they both liked while lounging around, just doing things they enjoyed doing. Leona had enjoyed lying against him more often, though they two still gave each other their privacy when needed.
It made Ralf and Clark happy to see the rest of the younger warriors able to bond with people, finding some sort of companionship in all of the chaos of the past year and a half or so.
The pair were now sitting in the one meeting room, checking a few documents for any loose ends that may have been missed before officially calling it closed. Ralf uttered a huge, jaw-cracking yawn at this, causing his friend to chuckle.
"Still tired? I thought you slept fine the past couple of weeks." Clark shook his head.
"Eh, more bored. After the excitement was done, it's mostly been trying to track a few of those last bastards down."
"After the excitement a couple weeks ago, I'm quite fine with a little less for now."
"I kinda hope the commander doesn't have too much for us."
"He might give us a little break. I gave him an idea of what we've been up to. He's due back in a couple of days."
"Good to hear." Ralf pushed the rest of the papers aside after jotting down a few more things. "You know...I was glad we could help with this one. I felt for the kid."
"Yeah. I hope they all know they can come to us if something like this happens again. So long as we're not on a mission," Clark replied, taking off his hat and glasses, resting them on the table and running a hand through his hair. Ralf, too, took his bandana off and dropped it.
"Glad that the factory we found ended up being mostly empty. Disposal unit did their job with the stuff from the warehouse. Adel had dealt with Furze. That wraps it up, then, I guess."
"I told Adel to keep an ear to the ground, just in case," Clark mentioned, "But he did say at this point, the rest are probably long gone. I know that he knows those types well, so I trust him on that."
"Of course." The big man removed a cigar from a box on the table. He handed one to Clark, who thought for a moment and took it, nodding thanks. They were smaller cigars-not the big ones they'd smoke at parties.
"Hmm. Going to drink one?" the blonde asked, digging around for his lighter.
"Now that you mention it…" the shaggy soldier grinned, "These go better with some booze." He stood, grabbing a bottle of bourbon and a couple of shot glasses. Placing them down, he poured them doubles and lit Clark's cigar before his own. He cracked the window to the room; it was a little chillier out than they'd have liked, but it would only be open for a short while.
"I guess to another successful mission?" Clark asked, picking up his shot.
"Seems like it," he said, gently clinking the two together before they downed them at a gulp. Looking at one another a moment, Clark poured them each one more, to be enjoyed a little slower while they smoked their cigars, deciding to share a few stories of their past in the process.
"What's going on next?" the blonde asked.
"Don't we have the next party soon?"
"Oh yeah! Do we know where we're having it this time? I know that the commander was considering getting the big manor again that we had for the summer party last time."
"I'm not sure if he'll be able to," Ralf said with a frown. "Apparently, it gets booked up extremely fast for the holiday. Talking like...months in advance. It was probably starting to get booked for Christmas while we were there in the summer."
"Drat," Clark said, puffing his cigar. "That place was the best."
"I know," Ralf agreed, sipping his bourbon. "But, on the bright side, apparently they got a hold of a convention center right next to a ritzy hotel in London. Bigger than the last place, and higher class. Still dress down, of course."
"Well that sounds fun." Clark rubbed his chin. "What color do you think the punch is gonna be this year?"
Laughing, his friend puffed his cigar again. "Well, going by the history of these parties. It's going to be bright blue or bright red, I guarantee it. Maybe even bright green, even though that color was used for the party last summer. You don't think they'd double-dip colors, do they?"
"What if they make red and green?"
"We'll end up drinking a lot of it, regardless," he laughed. "As long as it's good."
"Unlike the Christmas party three years ago."
"Wait, was that the one where they got the idea to mix tequila with mint schnapps?"
"Ugh," Clark shuddered, sipping his bourbon, almost to take the memory of the horrid taste out of his mouth. "They had to be drunk to even think of that one."
"I think some wires got crossed in the kitchens that year."
The two continued their random and rather amusing discussions, figuring out their plans for the next week or so, and very much looking forward to their holiday time coming up with everyone.
A/N: And that wraps it up. This was more or less just a nice 'after the end' clean-up of a few loose ends, letting folks know what happened when it was all done, and to let these two guys just...be forever best companions, as they are. These guys started fighting together long before even KOF was thought of. These two are the oldest set of partners in SNK's history(as Ralf was conceived as a character before the Psycho Soldiers!)
Hopefully y'all liked my little dive into letting Ralf and Clark look like the heroes SNK actually had them as through their long careers, even though it was a bit of a short tale(and they did, of course, get others to help out.) I just wanted to show how their experience could shine through, helping to divert something, that if left in the hands of a bunch of young people-skilled younger people, but younger nonetheless-that without their expert hands in dealing out plans and objectives, things might go a bit wrong. (Again, I'm no Tom Clancy, but operate more in Action Movie ways, heh.)
I'll definitely be writing Ikaris again. I DO have the ol' Company Party 3 story getting worked on, too, which I hope you all look forward to!
Anyway, till next time, readers! Thanks for sticking around. I am ever grateful for anyone who enjoys my stuff!