#Windows Defender Credential Guard

[prajna-alva]

Exploring the Depths: Active Directory Penetration Testing and the Enigma of Kerberos

Introduction

In the world of cybersecurity, staying one step ahead of potential threats is paramount. To safeguard an organization's sensitive information and network resources, it's crucial to regularly assess vulnerabilities and weaknesses. One potent approach is Active Directory (AD) penetration testing, which is an essential part of assessing and fortifying network security. This article delves into the intricacies of Active Directory penetration testing and the often elusive realm of Kerberos authentication.

Active Directory Penetration Testing: Unearthing Vulnerabilities

Active Directory, the cornerstone of identity management in Windows environments, serves as a centralized repository for user and system information, including authentication data. For cybercriminals, compromising AD can open the doors to a treasure trove of sensitive information. To counter this threat, organizations employ penetration testing to simulate real-world attacks and identify vulnerabilities.

Goals of Active Directory Penetration Testing

Identify Weak Passwords: One of the most common vulnerabilities is weak or easily guessable passwords. Penetration testers aim to uncover users with weak passwords and prompt them to strengthen their credentials.

Discover Misconfigured Permissions: Unauthorized access to resources can result from misconfigured permissions. Penetration testing assesses whether users have permissions that they shouldn't, potentially exposing sensitive data.

Locate Unpatched Systems: Outdated systems are susceptible to known vulnerabilities. Identifying and patching these systems is a critical goal of penetration testing.

Assess Kerberos Authentication: Active Directory relies heavily on Kerberos for secure authentication. Understanding Kerberos is essential for a thorough AD penetration test.

Kerberos: The Protector of Authentication

Kerberos, a network authentication protocol, plays a pivotal role in securing Active Directory environments. Named after the mythological three-headed dog guarding the gates of Hades, Kerberos acts as a guardian for network communication. Understanding how it works is vital for both defenders and attackers.

The Key Concepts of Kerberos

Authentication Tickets: In Kerberos, authentication occurs through tickets. A Ticket Granting Ticket (TGT) is obtained during initial authentication, and this TGT is used to request access to various resources without re-entering credentials.

Principle of Need to Know: Kerberos enforces the principle of "need to know." A user can access only the resources for which they have tickets, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

Realms and Trust: In a multi-domain environment, Kerberos realms establish trust relationships between domains. Trust enables users from one domain to access resources in another.

Encryption: Kerberos relies on encryption to protect sensitive information, such as passwords and tickets. Encryption keys are generated dynamically during authentication.

Penetration Testing Kerberos: A Delicate Balancing Act

Penetration testing for Kerberos authentication involves a delicate balancing act between assessing security measures and not disrupting normal operations. Here are some critical aspects of Kerberos-focused penetration testing:

1. AS-REP Roasting

AS-REP Roasting is a common attack that exploits weak or vulnerable user accounts. Penetration testers attempt to retrieve Authentication Service (AS) tickets without the need for valid login credentials. This technique targets accounts with pre-authentication disabled, making them vulnerable to brute-force attacks.

2. Pass-the-Ticket Attacks

Pass-the-Ticket attacks involve stealing Ticket Granting Tickets (TGTs) from compromised systems. Attackers can then use these stolen TGTs to gain unauthorized access to other network resources. Penetration testing assesses the organization's ability to detect and defend against such attacks.

3. Golden Ticket Attacks

Golden Ticket attacks involve forging TGTs, effectively granting attackers unlimited access to the domain. Penetration testers may attempt to create Golden Tickets to evaluate the AD's resilience against this advanced attack.

4. Silver Ticket Attacks

Silver Tickets are used for unauthorized access to specific services or resources. A penetration test may focus on creating Silver Tickets to assess the AD's ability to detect and prevent such attacks.

[ts26140310]

Mastering Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Active Directory: The Backbone of Modern IT

In today’s fast-paced, digitally connected world, managing users, devices, and resources efficiently is essential for any organization. Enter Active Directory (AD)—a powerful directory service developed by Microsoft that has been a cornerstone of enterprise IT management for over two decades. With Windows Server 2019, Active Directory has received key enhancements that continue to support the demands of modern networks while maintaining the trusted core features that IT professionals rely on.

In this blog, we’ll explore what Active Directory is, how it works within Windows Server 2019, its key features, and why it remains essential in hybrid and on-premises environments.

What is Active Directory?

At its core, Active Directory is a directory service that stores information about objects on the network and makes this information easy for administrators and users to access. These objects include users, computers, groups, printers, and more.

AD provides centralized control over network resources. It allows administrators to manage authentication (who can log in) and authorization (what they can access), enforce security policies, and organize resources logically using a structure of domains, trees, and forests.

What’s New in Windows Server 2019?

While Windows Server 2019 didn’t introduce a completely new version of Active Directory, it brought several improvements and modern features to enhance AD environments:

Improved Hybrid Cloud Support: AD in Server 2019 integrates more seamlessly with Azure Active Directory, enabling better hybrid identity management.

Enhanced Security: With features like Windows Defender ATP, shielded virtual machines, and credential guard, Windows Server 2019 helps protect AD from modern threats.

Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA): Easier to configure and manage in Server 2019, gMSAs allow services to run with secure, automatically managed credentials.

Admin Center Integration: The Windows Admin Center makes it easier to manage Active Directory from a centralized, modern UI.

Key Components of Active Directory in Windows Server 2019

Let’s break down the essential components that make AD work:

1. Domain Services (AD DS)

This is the heart of Active Directory. AD DS stores directory data and manages communication between users and domains. It handles logins, permissions, and group policies.

2. Group Policy

Group Policy is a feature that allows administrators to define security and configuration settings for users and computers. With Server 2019, Group Policy remains a vital tool for controlling user experience and maintaining security compliance.

3. Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS)

This service issues and manages digital certificates used in identity security, encryption, and secure communications.

4. Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)

AD FS allows single sign-on (SSO) across different networks and platforms—particularly useful for hybrid environments that combine on-premise and cloud applications.

5. Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS)

AD LDS provides directory services for directory-enabled applications, without the overhead of full AD DS.

Real-World Uses of Active Directory

Here are some common and powerful ways organizations use AD in Windows Server 2019:

User Authentication: Securely manage user logins and credentials across the network.

Access Control: Grant or deny access to files, folders, and applications based on user roles or group membership.

Device Management: Add or remove computers from the domain, enforce software updates, and deploy configurations remotely.

Policy Enforcement: Use Group Policy to lock down desktops, restrict software installations, or deploy mapped network drives.

Auditing and Compliance: Monitor logins, access attempts, and changes to sensitive resources for security and compliance.

AD in Hybrid and Cloud-Connected Environments

Microsoft understands that most organizations aren't operating 100% in the cloud. That's why Windows Server 2019 makes it easier to integrate on-prem Active Directory with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).

With Azure AD Connect, organizations can sync user identities, enabling seamless access to both cloud and on-premises resources with a single set of credentials. This integration also supports cloud features like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Conditional Access.

Getting Started with Active Directory in Server 2019

If you're new to AD in Windows Server 2019, here's a high-level setup path:

Install Windows Server 2019 on your physical or virtual machine.

Install the Active Directory Domain Services role using Server Manager or PowerShell.

Promote the server to a Domain Controller, which involves configuring the domain, forest, and DNS.

Create and manage users, groups, and policies using Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC) and Group Policy Management Console (GPMC).

Plenty of learning platforms, including Ascend Education, offer guided courses and virtual labs to help you practice these tasks in a safe, simulated environment.

Final Thoughts

Active Directory in Windows Server 2019 remains an indispensable tool for IT administrators. Whether you're managing a small business network or a large enterprise hybrid environment, AD offers the tools and flexibility to keep everything running securely and efficiently.

With its powerful identity and access management capabilities and its growing support for hybrid cloud models, Active Directory is more relevant than ever—and mastering it is a must for today’s IT professionals.

[26140310]

Mastering Windows Server 2019 Administration: A Guide for IT Professionals

Windows Server 2019, Microsoft’s robust and versatile server operating system, has become a cornerstone for organizations across various industries. Released as an evolution of the popular Windows Server 2016, it brings a suite of powerful features aimed at improving security, efficiency, and ease of management. Effective Windows Server 2019 administration involves understanding its capabilities, configuring its key settings, and leveraging its tools to meet organizational needs. This article explores the essentials of Windows Server 2019 administration, covering crucial components, best practices, and tips to help administrators make the most of this powerful system.

Key Features of Windows Server 2019

Windows Server 2019 builds upon its predecessors with several new features designed to optimize performance and security in modern data centers. Here are a few highlights that make it a standout choice for administrators:

Hybrid Cloud Support: With Azure integration, Windows Server 2019 offers seamless hybrid capabilities that allow administrators to connect on-premises servers with cloud services. This provides flexibility in managing workloads and extends the reach of IT infrastructure beyond physical boundaries.

Enhanced Security: Security remains a core focus of Windows Server 2019, with advanced features like Shielded Virtual Machines, Windows Defender ATP, and enhanced threat detection through Windows Defender Exploit Guard. These tools help protect against modern cybersecurity threats while reducing system vulnerabilities.

Improved Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI): The HCI improvements in Windows Server 2019 enable administrators to manage storage, networking, and compute resources within a unified infrastructure, simplifying the management of virtualized environments.

Linux Integration: In recognition of the growing presence of Linux in enterprise environments, Windows Server 2019 offers built-in support for Linux containers, which allows administrators to run Linux-based applications and tools directly on Windows Server.

Storage Migration Services: Migrating servers to a new OS can be challenging, especially when dealing with critical data. The Storage Migration Service in Windows Server 2019 makes it easier to move servers from older systems by automatically transferring files, shares, and security configurations.

Core Responsibilities of Windows Server 2019 Administrators

Effective Windows Server 2019 administration requires a combination of technical skills and a solid understanding of organizational needs. Below are some of the primary responsibilities for administrators.

1. Setting Up and Configuring Servers

Setting up Windows Server 2019 begins with proper installation, followed by configuring network settings, Active Directory (AD), and role-based access. Administrators need to define specific roles for each server, such as DNS, DHCP, or file servers, to ensure streamlined operations. They also configure AD Domain Services to manage networked resources and enable centralized user management.

2. User and Access Management

One of the most critical aspects of server administration is managing user accounts and permissions. Windows Server 2019 simplifies this process through Active Directory, where administrators can create, modify, and control access for users, groups, and devices within the network. Properly setting up permissions and implementing Group Policies ensures that users have the right access levels while protecting sensitive data.

3. Implementing Security Protocols

Windows Server 2019 includes multiple layers of security to safeguard data and network resources. Security features such as Windows Defender, Credential Guard, and Exploit Guard help protect against threats. Configuring firewall settings, setting up intrusion detection, and implementing multi-factor authentication are all part of a comprehensive security protocol for ensuring data integrity and preventing unauthorized access.

4. Monitoring and Maintaining Performance

Performance monitoring is an ongoing task for Windows Server administrators. Using built-in tools like Windows Performance Monitor and Task Manager, administrators can track CPU usage, memory, disk activity, and network performance. Windows Admin Center provides a centralized dashboard for monitoring server health and performance, allowing administrators to identify issues and bottlenecks before they impact users.

5. Managing Backup and Recovery

Data backup and recovery plans are crucial for any organization, especially when downtime can lead to significant financial losses. Windows Server 2019 provides administrators with robust tools like Windows Server Backup and Volume Shadow Copy Service to schedule regular backups. In case of data loss or corruption, these tools enable quick recovery of data, minimizing downtime and ensuring business continuity.

6. Implementing Virtualization and Containerization

With Hyper-V, Windows Server 2019 supports extensive virtualization capabilities, allowing administrators to run multiple virtual machines on a single physical server. This enables efficient use of hardware resources and reduces operational costs. Additionally, container support allows administrators to deploy applications in isolated environments, making it easier to manage dependencies and streamline deployment.

Best Practices for Windows Server 2019 Administration

To ensure smooth and efficient server management, administrators should follow these best practices:

Regular Patching and Updating: Regular updates help keep the system secure and enhance performance. Using Windows Update and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) ensures that servers are protected with the latest security patches.

Monitor Log Files: Log files can provide valuable insights into system health, user activities, and security events. Regularly monitoring logs can help detect unauthorized access attempts and resolve issues before they escalate.

Automate Routine Tasks: Automation tools like PowerShell scripts allow administrators to streamline repetitive tasks, such as user account management and data backups, saving time and reducing human error.

Create a Disaster Recovery Plan: Having a well-documented disaster recovery plan is crucial. This should include steps for data recovery, server restoration, and emergency contact information.

Conclusion

Windows Server 2019 is a powerful platform that offers extensive capabilities for managing and securing enterprise IT environments. Effective administration requires a deep understanding of its features, from hybrid cloud support and virtualization to advanced security and user management. By mastering these core components, administrators can ensure their organization’s infrastructure is reliable, secure, and scalable.

Adopting best practices, such as regular patching, automation, and disaster recovery planning, will further enhance an administrator’s ability to manage the server environment effectively. As businesses continue to rely on digital resources, Windows Server 2019 administrators play a crucial role in ensuring that the backbone of these systems is well-managed, resilient, and prepared for the future.

[mohanmekapdotcom]

Unveiling Microsoft Windows 11: A Closer Look at Inbuilt Security

-----------------------------------------------------------

Microsoft Windows 11 represents more than just a fresh design; it embodies a strong commitment to security. As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, ensuring the protection of user data is more important than ever. Windows 11 introduces a comprehensive suite of inbuilt security features aimed at safeguarding personal information and enhancing overall system integrity.

In this blog post, we will take a closer look at these security features, helping you understand how Windows 11 protects you.

Enhanced Hardware Security Requirements

One major advancement in Windows 11’s security protocols is its strict hardware requirements. Microsoft has set minimum specifications that devices must meet to run Windows 11, ensuring only those with secure capabilities can upgrade.

A key aspect is the mandate for TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module), which provides hardware-based security. With TPM, devices can securely generate, store, and manage cryptographic keys, making it significantly harder for hackers to access your system. A report from Microsoft shows that devices with TPM can reduce the risk of attacks by over 60%.

Additionally, Windows 11 enforces secure boot capabilities, which help prevent malware by ensuring that only trusted software can load during the booting process. These hardware specifications are not merely obstacles; they serve as vital defenses against various types of cyber attacks.

A modern computer setup showcasing security features.

Virtualization-Based Security (VBS)

Another innovative feature in Windows 11 is Virtualization-Based Security (VBS). By utilizing modern CPU capabilities, VBS creates a secure environment known as a virtual secure mode. This environment isolates critical system components from the rest of the operating system.

In this secure mode, sensitive operations are protected, thereby reducing the chance of vulnerabilities being exploited by malware. For example, in testing, systems with VBS experienced a 30% decrease in successful malware attacks. This enhanced defense is particularly relevant as attackers increasingly target operating systems to assert control over devices.

Windows Hello: Passwordless Authentication

Windows Hello is leading the charge towards a passwordless future in Windows 11. This feature employs biometric methods such as facial recognition and fingerprint scanning, providing a secure alternative to traditional passwords that can often be weak or stolen.

By using biometric data, Windows Hello ensures that only authorized users can access devices. Statistics show that around 80% of data breaches are linked to weak or stolen passwords, which highlights the importance of this transition. Furthermore, because Windows Hello integrates seamlessly with the TPM module, even if an attacker tries to bypass the security, the credentials remain secure and inaccessible.

A laptop screen displaying Windows Hello login for quick access.

Microsoft Defender: Built-in Antivirus and Anti-Malware

Windows 11 is packed with Microsoft Defender, a robust built-in antivirus and anti-malware solution that has seen significant upgrades. Enhanced capabilities make it a competitive option for users who prefer not to resort to third-party security tools.

Defender operates in real-time, actively scanning applications and files for potential threats before they can infect your system. Regular updates keep users protected against the latest malware and ransomware. In fact, Microsoft reports that systems running Defender have seen a 50% increase in threat detection efficiency.

Additionally, features like SmartScreen offer protection against malicious websites while browsing the internet, minimizing the chances of security breaches.

Application Guard: Securing Browsers

With browsers often being prime targets for cyber threats, Microsoft introduced Application Guard to strengthen security in Windows 11. It enables users to open potentially risky websites within a secure environment, preventing any threats from impacting the primary operating system.

Application Guard creates an isolated container for browsing, ensuring that any encountered threats remain contained. For users who regularly visit unknown sites, this provides a significant layer of security, which many experts recommend as best practice for safe internet browsing.

Enhanced Privacy Controls

In an era where personal data is incredibly vulnerable, Windows 11 steps up with stronger privacy controls. The operating system features a clear privacy dashboard that allows users to see which applications have access to their data and adjust permissions as needed.

Windows Firewall Improvements

A solid firewall is integral to any security strategy, and Windows 11 has made several improvements to its built-in firewall to adapt to evolving threats. The enhanced Windows Firewall monitors incoming and outgoing traffic in real-time, detecting suspicious activity effectively.

Users can easily personalize firewall settings, allowing them to activate or deactivate specific features based on their needs. The seamless integration with Microsoft Defender amplifies the overall security suite by ensuring comprehensive defense mechanisms are in place.

Regular Updates and Patches

Regular updates and patches are vital for maintaining any operating system’s security. Microsoft is committed to providing ongoing support for Windows 11, ensuring users receive timely updates that fix security vulnerabilities and enhance features.

These updates close potential security loopholes that could be exploited by malicious actors. Moreover, Windows 11’s update system is designed to minimize disruption, allowing users to stay productive while keeping their systems updated. This balance between security and ease of use is essential in today’s computing environment.

Final Thoughts

As technology progresses, so too do the tactics of cybercriminals. Microsoft Windows 11 stands out as a significant advancement in inbuilt security, offering a wide range of features designed to protect users’ data and enhance their overall experience.

From stringent hardware requirements and advanced authentication to comprehensive antivirus capabilities and robust privacy controls, Windows 11 addresses modern security challenges effectively. By leveraging these security measures, users can enjoy the benefits of Windows 11 with greater assurance regarding the safety of their data.

In conclusion, Windows 11 is more than just an operating system; it represents a serious commitment to user security and privacy in a data-driven age.

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Mastering Windows Server 2019 Administration: A Guide for IT Professionals

Windows Server 2019, Microsoft’s robust and versatile server operating system, has become a cornerstone for organizations across various industries. Released as an evolution of the popular Windows Server 2016, it brings a suite of powerful features aimed at improving security, efficiency, and ease of management. Effective Windows Server 2019 administration involves understanding its capabilities, configuring its key settings, and leveraging its tools to meet organizational needs. This article explores the essentials of Windows Server 2019 administration, covering crucial components, best practices, and tips to help administrators make the most of this powerful system.

Key Features of Windows Server 2019

Windows Server 2019 builds upon its predecessors with several new features designed to optimize performance and security in modern data centers. Here are a few highlights that make it a standout choice for administrators:

Hybrid Cloud Support: With Azure integration, Windows Server 2019 offers seamless hybrid capabilities that allow administrators to connect on-premises servers with cloud services. This provides flexibility in managing workloads and extends the reach of IT infrastructure beyond physical boundaries.

Enhanced Security: Security remains a core focus of Windows Server 2019, with advanced features like Shielded Virtual Machines, Windows Defender ATP, and enhanced threat detection through Windows Defender Exploit Guard. These tools help protect against modern cybersecurity threats while reducing system vulnerabilities.

Improved Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI): The HCI improvements in Windows Server 2019 enable administrators to manage storage, networking, and compute resources within a unified infrastructure, simplifying the management of virtualized environments.

Linux Integration: In recognition of the growing presence of Linux in enterprise environments, Windows Server 2019 offers built-in support for Linux containers, which allows administrators to run Linux-based applications and tools directly on Windows Server.

Storage Migration Services: Migrating servers to a new OS can be challenging, especially when dealing with critical data. The Storage Migration Service in Windows Server 2019 makes it easier to move servers from older systems by automatically transferring files, shares, and security configurations.

Core Responsibilities of Windows Server 2019 Administrators

Effective Windows Server 2019 administration requires a combination of technical skills and a solid understanding of organizational needs. Below are some of the primary responsibilities for administrators.

1. Setting Up and Configuring Servers

Setting up Windows Server 2019 begins with proper installation, followed by configuring network settings, Active Directory (AD), and role-based access. Administrators need to define specific roles for each server, such as DNS, DHCP, or file servers, to ensure streamlined operations. They also configure AD Domain Services to manage networked resources and enable centralized user management.

2. User and Access Management

One of the most critical aspects of server administration is managing user accounts and permissions. Windows Server 2019 simplifies this process through Active Directory, where administrators can create, modify, and control access for users, groups, and devices within the network. Properly setting up permissions and implementing Group Policies ensures that users have the right access levels while protecting sensitive data.

3. Implementing Security Protocols

Windows Server 2019 includes multiple layers of security to safeguard data and network resources. Security features such as Windows Defender, Credential Guard, and Exploit Guard help protect against threats. Configuring firewall settings, setting up intrusion detection, and implementing multi-factor authentication are all part of a comprehensive security protocol for ensuring data integrity and preventing unauthorized access.

4. Monitoring and Maintaining Performance

Performance monitoring is an ongoing task for Windows Server administrators. Using built-in tools like Windows Performance Monitor and Task Manager, administrators can track CPU usage, memory, disk activity, and network performance. Windows Admin Center provides a centralized dashboard for monitoring server health and performance, allowing administrators to identify issues and bottlenecks before they impact users.

5. Managing Backup and Recovery

Data backup and recovery plans are crucial for any organization, especially when downtime can lead to significant financial losses. Windows Server 2019 provides administrators with robust tools like Windows Server Backup and Volume Shadow Copy Service to schedule regular backups. In case of data loss or corruption, these tools enable quick recovery of data, minimizing downtime and ensuring business continuity.

6. Implementing Virtualization and Containerization

With Hyper-V, Windows Server 2019 supports extensive virtualization capabilities, allowing administrators to run multiple virtual machines on a single physical server. This enables efficient use of hardware resources and reduces operational costs. Additionally, container support allows administrators to deploy applications in isolated environments, making it easier to manage dependencies and streamline deployment.

Best Practices for Windows Server 2019 Administration

To ensure smooth and efficient server management, administrators should follow these best practices:

Regular Patching and Updating: Regular updates help keep the system secure and enhance performance. Using Windows Update and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) ensures that servers are protected with the latest security patches.

Monitor Log Files: Log files can provide valuable insights into system health, user activities, and security events. Regularly monitoring logs can help detect unauthorized access attempts and resolve issues before they escalate.

Automate Routine Tasks: Automation tools like PowerShell scripts allow administrators to streamline repetitive tasks, such as user account management and data backups, saving time and reducing human error.

Create a Disaster Recovery Plan: Having a well-documented disaster recovery plan is crucial. This should include steps for data recovery, server restoration, and emergency contact information.

Conclusion

Windows Server 2019 is a powerful platform that offers extensive capabilities for managing and securing enterprise IT environments. Effective administration requires a deep understanding of its features, from hybrid cloud support and virtualization to advanced security and user management. By mastering these core components, administrators can ensure their organization’s infrastructure is reliable, secure, and scalable.

Adopting best practices, such as regular patching, automation, and disaster recovery planning, will further enhance an administrator’s ability to manage the server environment effectively. As businesses continue to rely on digital resources, Windows Server 2019 administrators play a crucial role in ensuring that the backbone of these systems is well-managed, resilient, and prepared for the future.

[firepowercloud]

The Power of Windows 11: Why You Should Upgrade Your Basics Box Today

Introduction:

Windows 11 has officially arrived to Fire Power Cloud, bringing with it a wide range of new features and enhancements designed to improve productivity, security, and overall user experience. If you’re currently using Fire Power Cloud’s Basics Box, upgrading to Windows 11 is a decision that can significantly enhance your virtual computing environment. In this article, we’ll explore the key reasons why upgrading to Windows 11 is a smart move and how it can benefit you in both work and play.

What’s New in Windows 11?

Windows 11 introduces a variety of new features and improvements that make it a compelling upgrade over Windows 10:

Redesigned Interface: One of the most noticeable changes in Windows 11 is its sleek, modern interface. The Start menu is now centered, providing a clean and intuitive layout that makes navigation easier. Windows 11 also features new snap layouts and snap groups, allowing you to organize your open windows more efficiently. These changes not only enhance the aesthetics but also improve usability, making multitasking smoother than ever.

Improved Performance: Under the hood, Windows 11 is optimized for better performance, particularly on modern hardware. The operating system is designed to wake from sleep faster, improve battery life, and optimize background processes. These enhancements mean that your Basics Box will run more efficiently, providing you with a faster and more responsive experience, whether you’re working on documents, browsing the web, or playing games.

New Productivity Tools: Windows 11 introduces several new tools aimed at boosting productivity. For example, Microsoft Teams is now integrated directly into the taskbar, making it easier to connect with colleagues and friends. The new virtual desktops feature allows you to create separate desktops for different projects or tasks, helping you stay organized and focused. Additionally, the Widgets feature gives you quick access to personalized news, weather updates, and more, right from your desktop.

Enhanced Security with Windows 11

Security is a top priority in Windows 11, with several new features designed to protect your data and ensure a safer computing environment, especially when working in the cloud:

TPM 2.0 Requirement: Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) for installation, which provides a hardware-based root of trust. This feature helps to protect encryption keys, user credentials, and other sensitive data, making it harder for attackers to compromise your system.

Secure Boot and VBS: Windows 11 includes Secure Boot, which helps prevent malicious software from loading during the boot process. Additionally, Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) and Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI) are enabled by default, further enhancing the security of your virtual environment.

Enhanced Malware Protection: The new Microsoft Defender Application Guard isolates untrusted websites and files, preventing them from accessing your main system. Combined with regular security updates and patches, Windows 11 provides a robust defense against emerging threats.

These security features are particularly important when using a cloud-based system like the Basics Box, where protecting your data and maintaining a secure environment are paramount.

The Upgrade Process: What to Expect

Upgrading your Basics Box to Windows 11 is a straightforward process, but there are a few key points to keep in mind:

A Fresh Start: The upgrade to Windows 11 requires a fresh installation, which means that all data on your current Basics Box will be wiped. While this might sound daunting, it’s a necessary step to ensure the best performance and compatibility with the new operating system.

Data Migration Assistance: To make the transition as smooth as possible, Fire Power Cloud offers network storage options. You can use this storage to back up your important files and data before the upgrade. After the upgrade is complete, you can easily transfer your files back to your Basics Box. Our support team is also available to assist with the migration process, ensuring that none of your critical data is lost.

Step-by-Step Guidance: Our team will guide you through each step of the upgrade process, from backing up your data to setting up your new Windows 11 environment. We aim to make the transition as seamless as possible, so you can start enjoying the benefits of Windows 11 right away.

Benefits of Upgrading to Windows 11 on Your Basics Box

Upgrading to Windows 11 on your Basics Box brings several key benefits:

Enhanced Performance: Windows 11’s optimizations for modern hardware translate into a more responsive and faster Basics Box. Whether you’re running intensive applications, multitasking, or gaming, you’ll notice smoother performance and quicker load times.

Improved User Experience: The redesigned interface and new productivity tools make Windows 11 a pleasure to use. Features like snap layouts and virtual desktops help you stay organized and efficient, while the integrated Teams and Widgets keep you connected and informed.

Cutting-Edge Security: With the enhanced security features of Windows 11, you can have peace of mind knowing that your data is better protected. This is especially crucial when working in a cloud environment, where security is a top concern.

Future-Proofing Your System: As software and applications continue to evolve, they will increasingly be optimized for Windows 11. By upgrading now, you’re future-proofing your Basics Box, ensuring that it remains compatible with the latest software and tools.

Conclusion

Windows 11 offers a wealth of improvements that make it a valuable upgrade for any user of Fire Power Cloud’s Basics Box. From enhanced performance and productivity tools to cutting-edge security features, Windows 11 is designed to help you get the most out of your virtual computing environment.

We encourage you to upgrade to Windows 11 and experience these benefits firsthand. And remember, if you need any assistance with the upgrade process, our support team is here to help. Plus, with our free network storage option, transitioning your data is simple and stress-free.

Try out Windows 11 on your Basics Box today and see how it can enhance your work. With no cancellation fees, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

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The Essential Guide to Windows Server: Unveiling the Power of Microsoft's Robust Operating System

In the realm of enterprise-level computing, Windows Server stands as a stalwart, serving as the backbone for countless organizations worldwide. Microsoft's Windows Server is a powerful operating system designed specifically to meet the demanding needs of businesses, providing a robust platform for running applications, managing network infrastructure, and ensuring data security. In this article, we will explore the key features, functionalities, and benefits of Windows Server, shedding light on why it remains a preferred choice for businesses across diverse industries.

Foundation of Windows Server:

Windows Server is built upon the same core architecture as its desktop counterpart, Windows 10. However, it is enhanced with additional features and capabilities specifically tailored to the requirements of server environments. These include advanced networking functions, robust security measures, and scalability options that make it suitable for a wide range of applications.

Server Roles and Features:

One of the defining aspects of Windows Server is its flexibility in adapting to various roles within an IT infrastructure. Through the installation of specific server roles and features, organizations can customize their server environment to meet specific needs. Whether it's acting as a domain controller, file server, web server, or virtualization host, Windows Server excels in its adaptability.

Active Directory:

At the heart of Windows Server's identity and access management capabilities is Active Directory. This centralized authentication and authorization service play a pivotal role in managing user accounts, permissions, and network resources. Active Directory simplifies the administration of large networks and ensures a secure and organized IT environment.

Virtualization with Hyper-V:

Windows Server incorporates Hyper-V, Microsoft's hypervisor-based virtualization platform. Hyper-V enables organizations to create and manage virtual machines (VMs), facilitating server consolidation, resource optimization, and improved scalability. This virtualization solution is a cornerstone for modern data centers seeking efficiency and flexibility.

Security Measures:

In the constantly evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats, Windows Server has fortified its defenses. Features such as Windows Defender, BitLocker, and Credential Guard work in tandem to safeguard servers and data against malicious activities. Regular security updates and patches are part of Microsoft's commitment to keeping Windows Server resilient against emerging threats.

Scalability and Performance:

As businesses grow, their IT infrastructure must evolve accordingly. Windows Server addresses this need by providing scalability options that allow organizations to expand their resources seamlessly. Whether it's adding more servers to a network, scaling up virtual machines, or enhancing storage capacity, Windows Server adapts to the changing demands of a dynamic business environment.

Integration with Cloud Services:

Recognizing the importance of cloud computing, Microsoft has integrated Windows Server with its Azure cloud platform. This integration facilitates hybrid cloud deployments, enabling organizations to leverage the benefits of both on-premises and cloud-based solutions. This hybrid approach provides flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.

User Interface and Management:

Windows Server offers a user-friendly interface for administrators to manage and monitor server functions. The Server Manager console provides a centralized location for configuring server roles, features, and system settings. Additionally, PowerShell, Microsoft's scripting language, allows for efficient automation and management of tasks.

Conclusion:

Windows Server continues to play a pivotal role in the IT infrastructure of businesses worldwide, offering a comprehensive solution for diverse server-related needs. Its versatility, security features, and integration with cloud services make it an indispensable tool for organizations striving to maintain a reliable, scalable, and secure IT environment. As technology evolves, Windows Server is poised to adapt and remain a cornerstone for businesses seeking a robust and efficient server operating system.

[congngheazz]

Nen cai ban Win 10 nao tot nhat

Windows 10 là hệ điều hành mới nhất và phổ biến nhất của Microsoft, được cập nhật thường xuyên với nhiều tính năng và bảo mật cao. Tuy nhiên, không phải tất cả các phiên bản Windows 10 đều phù hợp với nhu cầu và cấu hình của máy tính của bạn. Trong bài viết này, chúng tôi sẽ giới thiệu cho bạn các phiên bản Windows 10 khác nhau, và hướng dẫn bạn nên cài bản win 10 nào để phù hợp nhất cho máy tính của bạn.

Các phiên bản Windows 10

Trên Windows 10 dành cho máy tính, Microsoft chia ra làm 4 phiên bản chính, đó là:

Windows 10 Home: Đây là phiên bản cơ bản nhất của Windows 10, thích hợp cho người dùng cá nhân với những tính năng cần thiết, như Cortana, Microsoft Edge, chế độ chơi game, ứng dụng từ Microsoft Store, Windows Hello, BitLocker, chế độ S, v.v. Windows 10 Home có giá khoảng 2,4 triệu đồng.

Windows 10 Pro: Đây là phiên bản cao cấp hơn của Windows 10, dành cho người dùng chuyên nghiệp hoặc doanh nghiệp nhỏ, với nhiều tính năng nâng cao, như truy cập máy chủ, Windows Information Protection, truy cập máy ch��� Hyper-V, DirectAccess, AppLocker, Credential Guard, Device Guard, Windows Defender ATP, truy cập ứng dụng riêng, quản lý ứng dụng Windows Store, v.v. Windows 10 Pro có giá khoảng 4 triệu đồng.

Windows 10 Enterprise: Đây là phiên bản dành cho doanh nghiệp lớn, có những tính năng cao cấp nhất của Windows 10, bao gồm tất cả các tính năng của Windows 10 Pro, cùng với một số tính năng độc quyền, như Windows Defender ATP, truy cập ứng dụng riêng, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB, Windows 10 IoT. Windows 10 Enterprise có giá khoảng 6 triệu đồng.

Windows 10 Education: Đây là phiên bản dành cho giáo dục, có những tính năng tương tự như Windows 10 Enterprise, nhưng còn có thêm chế độ học tập, hỗ trợ dài hạn, v.v. Windows 10 Education có giá không rõ.

…..

Chi tiết xem tại: https://congngheaz.com/nen-cai-ban-win-10-nao/

[it-online]

Windows 11 2022 Update: Novidades para IT Pros

O Windows 11 2022 Update para além de todas as funcionalidades direcionada ao consumo, fornece também um leque variado de recursos específicos para clientes empresariais que os ajudará a melhorar a segurança das suas redes e também a experiência final dos seus utilizadores. (more…)

[hectabdr]

Dragon Raja IV - Chapters 9 & 10 (Abridged)

Hi everyone, in today's update we start learning a little more about Johann's father and that vision that Luminous experienced.

Previous Chapters

Chapter 9

Luminous woke up in a white room. In front of him there was an old man in a white doctor's coat. He explained that once Luminous left the library, he fell and hit his head on the pavement, so his friends brought him to a hospital to check if he had a concussion. Behind the mirror, however, they were being watched by two psychiatrists, next to them, Nono and Finger observed as well. Luminous had to answer many questions, he answered as logically as he could. According to the lead doctor, this wasn't a good sign, a person who knows that they're suffering from some sort of mental disease will always make an extra effort to demonstrate their sanity and Luminous was definitely going the extra mile.

They actually brought him there after Finger threw a rock at his friend's head and knocked him out. Truth be told, they already suspected the doctor's diagnostic, their friend was schizophrenic. Luminous's tantrum didn't help his case either. The young S-Rank was yelling, then threatened the personnel to let him go and almost flipped the table. Minutes later, he was already constricted by a straitjacket, resting on a small hospital bed.

Trying to ignore the other patients with whom he shared a room, he slowly vanished under the effects of a sedative injection. As soon as his eyes closed, his body felt the cold sensation of heavy rain. He was in the number 0 highway all over again, trapped in that same vision, the one where Nono would die in minutes, yet the shadowy creatures were not trying to eat them alive, but frozen like statues, while a small figure walked among them. Carrying an oversized umbrella, the little devil greeted his brother and made an interesting contribution.

The dream that Luminous experienced was not simply a prediction, but a simulation of it, and as such, it could be experienced all over again. In fact, he could repeat the same scenario as many times as he needed to find the one where Nono would survive. It was like the "save" feature in a video game and there was no need to exchange a quarter of his life for this service.

-Odin, what is he?

-You could understand him as a dead soul, trapped in this Nibelungen. He possesses infinite power, yet for some reason, he couldn't leave this place for many years, until now.

Odin's restriction was about to end, after all, he managed to lock Nono with the Gungir lance and it was a matter of time before he could leave the Nibelungen to reach her. Once you're locked by the lance, you're doomed to die, however, it cannot be locked on the same target twice, since theoretically said target should be dead already. Therefore, the solution was simple, if Luminous managed to prevent the lance from hitting Nono, Odin wouldn't be able to try for a second time. According to Ming·Z, someone in the past already escaped the Gungir lance, he just didn't know how. Luminous would have multiple chances to find a way, with a clear objective in mind, he started the second round.

The scenario resumed and the creatures started moving towards them. The pair once again fought for their lives, with a big difference: Luminous performed exceptionally well. Being able to remember the behavior of the servitors allowed him to know exactly how and where to shoot them, leaving Nono speechless. She was particularly surprised when he blew up her car, since he forgot the part where they agreed to escape in the Maybach. Wasting time to explain his course of action, a servitor took advantage of their distraction and cut through Nono's neck with its hands, killing her in an instant.

He woke up in his hospital bed, extremely frustrated. Ming·Z·Lu left a phone in his bed with a message that invited him to try again. The only problem was that he couldn't fall asleep. Luminous threw tantrum after tantrum until the nurse came in and he requested another sedative injection, which surprised her. According to the doctors, these sedatives weren't addictive, so Luminous had little to no reason to want another one. He had to lie about his condition, saying that there were voices in his head yelling to one another. The nurse injected him again and he fell asleep, ready for his third attempt.

In the middle of the battle, he noticed that one of the servitors had a little number next to it, just like the stats in an RPG, and the creature was a "level 600 enemy". According to Ming·Z, a very strong regular human should have a combat level of 100, so this thing had six times the strength of a tai chi master. Enemies that strong should be avoided in close combat and shot from a distance instead. Odin's power level and other stats were displayed as a bunch of question marks. It was a sign of their abysmal difference in strength. When Luminous tried to analyze Ming·Z·Lu, his stats were hidden by question marks as well.

Chapter 10

Days later, Finger and Nono were drinking in Luminous's old bedroom, trying to figure out what to do next. They believed they understood the situation, their friend was mentally ill. He knew about this boy called Lu Mang, who died in an accident and he created an imaginary version of him. He projected most of his own accomplishments into this made up president of the Lionheart club and got two of his former classmates involved in his delusional quest.

Finger suggested giving Luminous back to the college, despite of the risk that it might represent to his safety. If they apologized for their actions and brought back the number one target of the secret party, they might have been able to get pardoned. Maybe Caesar could ensure his well being. Nono still insisted in analyzing the inconsistencies on everyone else's perspective on Luminous and Finger suggested that she just couldn't accept the truth of her sidekick's mental condition.

Finger's suggestion was tearing her apart on the inside, because she knew that she was supposed to be the one who suggested they give up on Luminous, then Finger would be offended and start defending his old roommate, this didn't make much sense, why was she the one who was hesitating? She expressed her disgust at his proposal and left Luminous's old house.

-Even if he's the disoriented puppy that you say he is, it's still mine! I'm the one who picked him up from the women's bathroom!

Meanwhile, Luminous just lost his 46th attempt at saving his former senior. After all of those attempts, he suffered 22 serious injuries, including 12 fractures, 7 deep wounds and 1 broken finger. His previous attempt was devastating, he managed to get in the car with Nono, but the death servitors lifted the car up in the air and they couldn't accelerate anymore. Nono was visibly terrified, while the creatures destroyed the vehicle, they sat down, waiting for their end to come.

Ming·Z tried to dissuade Luminous from pursuing Nono, or even saving her, but his brother refused. The little devil was confused about his brother's feelings and revealed that he had been writing a small webnovel inspired by the real life relationship between Luminous and Nono. His readers weren't particularly happy with her character and wanted her to be more clear about her intentions.

-I learned more about humans to understand the feelings that you have for your senior sister.

-Did you find your answer?

-Yes, your feelings are in all the wrong places.

-Nonsense!

Perhaps there was something he could do. Ming·Z couldn't stop the Gungir lance, but he would be able to kill Odin if Luminous was willing to trade his last quarter of life. As expected, Luminous refused, so he gave him another gift: he would provide him with any weapon he could ask for on his next attempts. Luminous asked for an apache helicopter but Ming·Z forced him to settle for something smaller, a bazooka.

The next round started and Nono freaked out when she saw Luminous's new rocket launcher, where did he get it from?

Back in the real world, Nono arrived at an abandoned building that belonged to the Media Asia Group. The boss of the Black Prince Group was an old acquaintance of hers, a devoted one at that, the same young man who lend her the red Ferrari: the young master Shao. His business card was enough to allow Nono to request information about an old employee: a man whose last name was Chu.

The middle aged man that guarded the old building was curious about this girl and her credentials. She went straight to the point and asked for the long deceased man, Mr. Chu. The guard recognized the surname immediately, his full name was Chu Tianjiao. Long ago they used to be colleagues and drank together from time to time.

Tianjiao was married to a dancer and had a young son, he wanted to earn more money, so he quit his job working as a driver for members of the taxation bureau and became the personal driver of a wealthy man, who owned the Maybach that Tianjiao drove every day.

Nono kept asking for more information, but there wasn't much to say, he loved spicy chicken wings and braised pork belly, he barely spoke unless it was to brag about simple things. But there was something more, Tianjiao lived in the factory, so she asked the man to take her to Tianjiao's room. In her way, she noticed a reflection in the window, powerful flames, but it only lasted a second.

Tianjiao's bedroom hadn't been opened for many years, but the air inside was surprisingly clean, just a little dusty. The furniture was simple, a double bed, a bedside table, a writing desk, a chair and a mini-refrigerator. Some strings in the corner of the room were used to dry his clothes and a jacket was hanged in them. This was everything that Chu Tianjiao had. Nono stepped in, asking to be left alone and she closed the door to allow her profiling ability to fill the missing details. She analyzed every aspect of the small place and came across a photograph. A family of three, a boy who was five at most, a woman with a bright smile and a man in a white shirt and woolen pants combing his hair, hugging his wife proudly. Was the boy Johann Chu? She couldn't recognize his face.

Nono sat down on the bed, closed her eyes and allowed her ability to put her in that man's shoes. She saw him, a man with no name arriving at the town for the first time, carrying nothing but a suitcase. He sat down at a food stand and ordered braised pork belly, but the vision was interrupted by the pain of heavy mental exhaustion. 

Her skills were demanding and she found herself trapped in that state, feeling like the was sinking in deep water as she desperately tried to escape. The experience sent her back to the Three Gorges Dam, where she almost died, a monster came to her aid and yelled "Don't die! don't die! don't die!"

She wasn't completely sure about how she survived on that mission. Caesar and Luminous put a story together, in which Norton approached the diving bell and attacked her, the dragon then attacked the Monach, where Caesar skillfully slayed the monster. Luminous brought her back to the boat, where she woke up in her boyfriend's arms.

But there was more to it, a monster, one that ordered her not to die and saved her with powers that broke the rules of the world she knew. Was that an illusion?

Nono felt the whole place trembling and got out of the room, outside, the rainfall had flooded the building and the whole structure was sinking in the muddy ground in which it was built. Nono tried to make her way out, she was trained for this, swimming as fast as she could, she got trapped by the tons of stored garbage and slowly passed out from suffocation until someone finally grabbed her wrist.

She woke up in an ambulance, where she discovered the identity of her savior: the boring middle-aged man that guided her to Tianjiao's room was in fact an olympic swimmer who almost joined the national team! He even had an 8-pack and all, Nono wondered, when did that old man become so interesting?

Anyway, while everyone clapped and celebrated the local hero, she contemplated the ruins of the sinking building. Her last connection to Chu Tianjiao was now lost.

In a simulated combat situation, inside of his dreams, Luminous was now on his 62nd attempt to save Nono. His routine was well practiced, not a single bullet was wasted. He pushed Nono back into the Maybach and prepared to fire the Bazooka at the death servitors, but the projectile exploded inside of the cannon, killing them both in the resulting explosion. Ming·Z excused himself for the defective product, after all, Luminous already used dozens of them so at least one could be expected to have some sort of flaw.

77th load, by this point he already managed to make it out oof the servitor battle and they drive deep into the highway. He tried to pass through the toll booths but accidentally hit a concrete isolation block.

He woke up again at the hospital and asked the nurse for another sedative. He had been sleeping for five or six consecutive days with the help of those injections, only waking up to eat and occasionally chat with his fellow patients. The nurse was growing suspicious of him but he faked a mental episode and the nurse ran away to ask for the doctor's instructions.

Finger showed up to visit him and brought some apples, he also reassured him about Nono's trust in him, informing Luminous of Chen's quest to find more clues about Johann's dad. They also found more about Chu's mother, who probably developed her psychological pregnancy after the death of her real son.

To lighten up the mood after the arrival of the nurses, Finger turned the TV on and they watched the news together. Apparently the airport was closed due to the incessant rains, and they were showing the departure of the last plane right before the lockdown, but something startled Luminous.

Odin's flames were reflecting in the water, the god swung his lance and the wind and water were quickly turned into a blade that cut through the airplane like butter. The airport was covered in flames and some of the passengers were injured.

Luminous tried to warn everyone in the hospital and begged them to call the police, but his apparent prediction meant nothing to them, after all, the footage shown in the news was a repetition from days before. They pushed him back into his bed and sedated him immediately.

Odin was indeed too much for regular humans, and he was about to start tormenting the city, just waiting to get out.

[guigz1-coldwar]

'Moment of truth' : New chapter for "Redemption in a Spirit in a Cold War" is out !

"Moment of truth"

Chapter Summary : While Yirina is having a stop with Park as they were on their way to London, she can finally have an answer......

To read it on AO3, click here !

Words : +4000

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I never thought that the day I will come back to West-Berlin that something will send me away from the place again and hopefully, it was an better place than Cuba. With Park, I had to go with her to meet an SAS soldier at Hereford in England that wanted to meet us to talk about Stone himself despite that before, all the ex-coworkers of Stone didn't want to talk about him and his services inside the organization and to be honest about it, I didn't expect at all that this particular soldier was the one who described Stone.....John Price Sr. .

He mainly talked to me about Stone as Park had to pick up an call from Woods and she wasn't so willing to know something that she already know about. I could see that she was still angry about importants details including the fact that Harry Stone is considered as an hero for the british people and despited by everyone who knows about his true identity & motives...that's mean every single counter-espionages organizations in the West. Everyone knows about him and even with that, there's nothing that they can do to ruin his 'good' reputation.

Price allowed me to discover more about who was Park's brother : William Elijah Park, a SAS soldier that was under the command of Price himself...killed by Stone, like Park said to me, in 1973 because William was given informations on Stone by someone from inside Perseus but also because of the rivalry Stone & William got after an accident in 1972....before Price gave me an picture of Park and her brother....an picture that I prefered to give her back before we left the place and by surprise, we're going back to London instead of taking the plane back to West-Berlin.

Park decided to take the wheels as we had at least 3 hours of driving from Hereford to arrive in London and during 1 hour and 30 minutes, we didn't talk too much except to know if the other was well as we were both in our respectives thoughts : she was maybe still trying to get over the fact that she was given an picture she never saw and me....I was still asking myself questions about Portnova's status but also about Zasha's one.

"Someone is tired, I seen." I said as I just saw Park yawning, putting her right hand in front of her mouth, the other hand still on the steering wheel while driving on the road.

"Yeah....I didn't sleep so much last night." She defended herself, sounding very low as she put her hand back on the steering wheel. "I had some troubles to get to sleep properly." She added, getting her eyes focused back on the road.

"You think that you can handle the rest of the drive or you want me to do it ?" I asked to her as I could see her narrowing her eyes, getting too tired.

"Do you know where's the road to London ?" She asked me back in a curious tone, redressing myself on my seat.

"Of course, follow the road signs and if the numbers get low, we're in the good direction." I exclaimed, looking outside, seeing one of the road signs saying that we were getting soon to Oxford.....before I yawned too.

"You still sure to drive ?" She raised an eyebrow to me, giving me a litle glare.

"Guess that we have to stop somewhere then." I proposed as it was the only thing to do now and she nodded, looking at the road signs.

"We're near Oxford." She whispered before looking at me briefly. "I know a place near the city where we could have a normal sleep."

"You seems to know everything around here." I scoffed about that and she looked at me with her left eye that could see 'did you really said this ?'

"Yirina, I used to study at Oxford !" She said, proud of it before smiling at me. "Of course, I know the place well." She added as she started to drive with the car, leaving the highway we were on, apparently, getting to an small town near Oxford called Farmoor.

"What's this place ?" I asked as we were arriving five minutes after we left the highway, seeing an sort of big lake on my left through the car window.

"Farmoor Reservoir." She replied before she, with the car, entered a very small parking with an big view on the lake, it was just us and no one else. "Sometimes, during my studies back in the old days, I used to hang out in there." She then stopped the car engine.

"You want us to sleep in here ?" I questioned her, looking around as I was very curious to sleep in that type of place in the middle of nowhere.

"Why not ?" She said back before I sniffed in approval to her, admiring the place around.

"Looks very charming in here." I exclaimed, looking back at her, who started to remove her jacket to put above her chest as I do the same too....some sort of blanket for ourselves. "Okay, can I ask you something ?"

"Yes ?" She breathed, looking at me.

"Tell me something that even me....I don't know about you." It was something little that I wanted to ask to her, looking at her very curiously. "Anything." She laughed at me gently before looking outside, thinkful.

"When I was an kid, I used to have an pony, doing horse riding." She said like that, making my eyes go wide about it. "It was something that I liked to do for an long time until I stopped when I entered the Oxford University." She looked at me, biting an part of her lips to me, wondering what was my reaction and frankly, I never thought that she had something like that.

"Wow, that's cool." I whispered as I could see that she wanted now to know something about me too. "You want to know something too ?" She nodded, causing me to search through my memories I have relived in my head. "Okay." I took a deep breath, having found something I had relived the second day we were in West Germany, looking at my left hand, especially the burned mark I had. "I did my coming out to Perseus as he tried to find me an 'good husband'....literally on his face."

"Really ?" Park had her hand on her face, her arm put against the seat to look at me.

"Yeah, I could still remember his jaw dropped when I told him that, he left my office right away." I laughed before I looked away, feeling suddenly sad. "He never really approved of it and said that he will heal me....guess that didn't work." I laughed again, trying to break the sad mood at the end.

"You do as you want to do, Yiri." Park affirmed, putting her hand on my shoulder, making me smile. "We don't give an fuck if people said that it's not something to do, we need to stay proud of our own status."  She got closer to me, getting our foreheads against each other "And I know that I'm proud of you." She pulled me for an kiss.

"I love you, Park." I whispered, taking some air before getting back into the kiss, reinforcing it with my hands before I broke the kiss again. "I think that we should sleep now."

"Yeah, you're right." We withdrawed from each other as we both getting comfy in our seats, looking at each other. "Good night, Yiri."

"Good night, Park." I whispered as I finally found closing my eyes, seeing Park also closing hers too slowly, feeling my body getting to sleep....this place was very nice to see....it was like an night under the stars of England....

I opened my eyes again finding myself into an stopped car in the front passenger seat and by looking outside the car.....it was the Spandau Prison in West-Berlin, the car was parked in the parking's prison....the day I have maybe helped Zasha escape from it....finally....after all these times, I can see it. At the driving seat, there was Dietrich, tapping nervously on the steering wheel, awaiting for something to happen or someone to come. We were both dressed with casual clothes....more like MI6 agents to say.

My feet was trembling about what was going to happen maybe in a few minutes before I took something out of my pocket : a fake MI6 credentials with an false name on it : Julie McKnight as Dietrich got one out too : he was named 'Daniel Folson.' . It was just the two of us in the car and like the plan told, we had to infiltrate ourselves in the prison and get Zasha out and MY plan was to get Zasha out alive from the the city before Perseus can do a thing about.

"You speak well the british accent, Grigoriev ?" Dietrich asked me, turning around to look at me as my eyes was on my fake credentials.

"Why're you asking ?" I started, confused. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't....because you can't speak the accent, I presume ?" I asked back to him who looked away.

"Pfff....of course, I can talk like those tea drinkers." He affirmed as I redressed myself on my seat, my back against the door

"Really ? Show me then." I looked at him seriously, awaiting for him to speak with the british accent before he snorted away, seeing me as ridiculous.

"We don't have time for this." He exclaimed, almost sounding angry as he continued to tap nervously with his hands on the wheel. "And accent or not, it's not an problem."

"Think what you think, Dietrich." I whispered, looking at the prison front door.

"You have an problem ?" He asked me and I looked at him, seriously again.

"Yeah, with people like you." I poked at him before someone suddenly appear at Dietrich window. It was an british guard, probably the one that was associated to Perseus who start to knock at the window to get Dietrich attention as he open the door.

"You're the two that need to get Krypto out ?" The guard asked us and we nodded with me keeping an straight face to the two.

"Can you tell us about the plan ?" Dietrich questioned him, curious.

"First and before getting to the room where Krypto is detained, we had to put an explosive charge in the boiler room for an distraction in case of something bad." The guard replied, looking around him in case someone was watching us. "I'm going to lead you there before I let you alone to get to Krypto and then, you're out of here with them."

"Fine, let's do this." Dietrich looked at me with an neutral face as we prepared our credentials to strap them on our jackets before taking some stolen silenced M1911 with us under the jacket, me removing the silencer and putting it away, knowing that the risk of getting frisked is high....a risk that Dietrich doesn't seem to acknowledge. "It's gonna be an breaking day."

We got out of the car like if it was normal as the guard was awaiting for us from away, not breaking our cover. I took a deep breath as we started to walk to get to the front door of the administrative building of the prison, exactly where Zasha was detained. The guard faked to greet us for the first time before we entered the building, acting like perfect MI6 agents and then, first problem that was obligated to have : a checkpoint that we have to pass with guards frisking everyone.

Even with our MI6 credentials, we have to get ourselves frisked by the guards and to faciliate their task, I removed my own M1911 on the counter of the guards security post before getting frisked by another guard. Dietrich was looking nervous as he removed his silenced gun and put it on the same counter, making the guards look at him suspiciously.

"Silenced gun ?" The guard behind the counter asked, looking at the gun and back at him as we,me & Dietrich were both frisked. "Any reasons why ?"

"Can't explain, I must have forget to remove it from the last operation we just had." Dietrich replied, sounding stressed in his voice.

"Don't worry, he's just an dumbass." I faked an laugh to the guard behind the counter who laughed back at Dietrich, he was looking almost angered but forced to smile.

"Good one !" The guard behind the counter pointed at me, laughing before getting serious again. "You can go, your guns will stay here until you leave the place." The other guards finished to frisk, letting us free to pass, without our guns as the Perseus guard gestured us to follow him to the boiler room that was at a few hallways from the room where Zasha was. Once we entered far enough in the boiler room, I could see the angered face of Dietrich.

"You must be stupid to do this, Grigoriev." He poked at me, still angry about what I did as we arrived just next to the place we wanted to put the charges.

"You are the stupid one." I called him back as we were almost caught by his fault. "You didn't remove your silencer from your gun."

"Okay, kids." The Perseus guard put himself between me & Dietrich "We have things to do than breaking each others necks about something that you just passed." He then looked at us as we were getting our temper down. "Good ?" We nodded.

"Let me place the charge then." Dietrich started to move away from me as the guard showed him where he has hidden the explosives as me....I was thinking of something, I needed to dispose of these guys.

Who's saying that they could try to act immediately after we got to Zasha as the guard was the only one armed and he could give his gun to Dietrich to do the job. So, I had to neutralize those guys and better, kill them here now ! I looked behind me at the entrance of the boiler room that was closed before looking back at the two, trying to set the charge up with the guard up and Dietrich almost sit. I took a deep breath, viewing the situation and then, it was time for me to act against them.

I approached the guard from behind and in an second, I grabbed him, putting my arms around his neck, causing him to fall back before I brutally break his neck in half, killing him instantly as Dietrich started to react. As I stepped back to avoid an punch that he tried to give, he managed to get his hands on the dead guard baton, now trying to give me strikes with it but I was avoiding each one of them, making them land on the walls or on the boiler machines.

Finally, I was able to grab his right arm where he was using the baton before I nudged it with all my might, breaking his arm and causing him to scream silently. I then managed to grab him by the collar and to throw him on a table that was near by, his head not on it.

"You traitor !" He spoke up, almost loudly as I was still holding him by his neck "You betrayed Perseus."

"Did I ?" I asked him. "I wasn't going to let him kill my friend."

"All of this....for Krypto !" He whispered to himself, trying to look away from me.

"For the last fucking time...." I started, getting myself ready to put him out of his misery, my head closer to him. "Their name is Zasha Smirnov !" I then used my right feet to strike him on his face, causing to break his neck more harder than the guard.

I removed my hands from him now that I just killed without remorse two Perseus agent in the middle of an western-controlled prison. I took again an breath, leaving the bodies in here as I started to walk away from the room, just alone. I stepped out of it, now going into the direction of the room where Zasha was detained in here. No one in here was getting suspicious of me, not even wondering where was the second MI6 agent that was with me.

I arrived near the room where Zasha was that was watched by two guards and the two stepped away when I showed them my credentials, apparently acknowledging that the MI6 wanted to be talk with. They opened the door, revealing Zasha themselves, not hurt at all and handcuffed on a chair.

"Yir....." They started as I entered the room before I put my index finger in front of my mouth, gesturing them to stop.

"Julie McKnight, MI6." I showed them my credentials, knowning that I was acting now and they nodded in approval. "We heard that you wanted to talk to us ?" They nodded again. "Guards." I called them as the door was still open.

"Yes, miss ?" One of the guards said, looking at me.

"Can you please detach them from their handcuffs ?" I asked the guard. "They are needed to be interrogate somewhere else."

"Understood." The guard replied as he started to move to get next to Zasha, taking the keys from his belt to detach Zasha from their handcuffs.

"What's your name ?" I fainted to ask to Zasha.

"Hmm...Smirnov, miss McKnight." They responded in a worried voice, fake one too as they were finally free.

"Good, stay next to me then." I ordered them as I moved next to them before walking away together from the room, the guard following us behind and taking back his post. "Don't stress, Zed." I whispered to them once we were no longer in the same hallway as the guards and they nodded again.

We arrived in the checkpoint again, the guard giving me back my gun, wondering why my 'colleague' wasn't here for me and I had to explain that he lost his way to get to the toilets, making the guard laugh again before he finally let us free to go outside with Zasha at my side, keeping an eye on them as we stepped out outside to get back to the car I used with Dietrich. I installed myself inside the car at the driver seat as Zasha got next to me but I wasn't starting the engine, looking mixed.

"Zed." I started, looking at them. "Do you realize where did you put yourself to ?" I asked, keeping my cool as I put my hands on the steering wheels

"Listen, I'm sorry, okay ?" They were confused at their own actions, looking at me.

"What's got into you ? You literally left me, Portnova & even Beans behind." I exclaimed, slowly raising my voice. "I know that Dedov was maybe sick but you could have wait one more day !"

"I know, it's just.....the stress....the scare I got since Dede left." They proclaimed at me, losing their words in the process.

"You got lucky that it was me that was behind that door and not Stitch." I said as I looked outside to see an car arriving in the parking. "Perseus called me from your apartment, knowing that I will come to your place to see how've been doing....Portnova was there too when he told me what you have done."

"I'm sorry." They repeated in a sad voice as I was holding back my own tears from my face, not wanting to get angry against Zasha. "Yirina, I'm sorry." I could feel their hands on my shoulder as I was still looking outside, seeing the two persons from that car getting out .....Park....Garrett....they were there that day......

"Zed, don't do this thing again." I pleaded to them, putting my hand on their shoulder. "Let's get out of here before we got problems." I then finally started the car's engine and drove off just before the alarm was getting heard from the street, with us getting away.

I thought it was the end of it but there were something wrong in that memory.....something that was just going to happen soon.....I was still driving with Zasha to get to a safe place out of the city before I looked in the mirror, seeing an suspicious van that has been following us since we have left the prison.

"Shit, we're been followed." I exclaimed, my eyes back on the road after checking the mirror.

"Why are we followed ?" Zasha asked, worried.

"Zed.....Perseus never wanted you to stay alive, he wanted to kill you at the moment we were going to transfer you back to Russia." I replied in a low voice. "I killed two Perseus agent in that prison and they surely want to know why it's only me & you in that car."

"But....you have something planned for that, right ?" They tried to not look behind the car as I was making some quick glares to the mirror, I shook my head,

"Listen, you need to stay focused and act like if you don't know." I ordered them as, with the car, I entered an sort of wasteland just outside of the city to park the car. "Trust me, Zasha." I added before I stopped the car, taking a deep breath as I saw the van enter the wasteland as well. "Stay here." I ordered them again before I stepped out of the car. I could see Hans, getting out of the van with two armed men, accompanying him.

"Grigoriev !" Hans almost shouted. "Where's Dietrich ?"

"He got himself arrested after he tried to break into an office." I replied, lying to him as I prepared my hands on my waist, ready. "Guy wasn't an genius after all."

"Don't talk about him like that." He exclaimed before looking behind me, seeing Zasha in the car. "Hey, Kryto, get your fucking ass....." He wanted to continue but in me, I felt the rage to still hear that name and then, I acted now, drawing the M1911 I was using to shoot 2 bullets in each guy behind Hans before shooting the last 3 remaining bullets in Hans, wounding him critically, hitting him in the shoulders and the chest.

"Zed !" I moved my head, keeping an eye on the van in case someone was hidden before I realized that it was just Hans and the guy I just shot down that were here. "You can come out." I suggested and the door opened as I removed my gun back into my jacket.

"You killed them.....like you did to those guys in Ukraine." They expressed, referring to another event like this.

"I had no choice, those people only deserved death." I looked back at Zasha, looking almost relieved to have done this. "Listen, I need to go back to Russia to get Portnova & Beans out." I added as I handed them the car keys. "Since Perseus will think that you're dead, you're free now."

"You remember where we are needing to join together in London ?" I nodded to them....but I couldn't know it right now. "Yirina, there's something that I want you to give to Portnova." They put their hands in their pocket, revealing an letter......the same letter that I retrieved in my old box back to Belikov place an month ago..... "Can you give this to her ?"

"I'll try my best to do it." I whispered before I took the letter in hand, putting it into my pocket as I heard Hans groaning. "Just die for fuck sake !" I yelled to him as I moved to grab one of the dead guy gun to shoot all of its mag on Hans wounded body, killing him.

"Yirina." I could hear Zasha's voice behind me, putting their hand on my shoulder. "Please, come back with my Yiri....come back for me and Dedov." They added before they decided to kiss me on the left cheek, making me grin a little about it.

"Zed..." I breathed before I do the same : kissing them on their cheek too and then, I put my arms around them to hug them, wanting them to feel secured and alive to have been saved by me, I just wanted their safety "Please, live your life and be free." I added with an smile before I let them walk to the driver's door of the car, seeing an smile on their face as they opened the door of the car.....

"Yirina, we're going to do this....we're going to bring Perseus down !"

[chickensarentcheap]

I Found - Chapter 20

Warnings: strong language. That’s about it.

@valkyrie-of-the-light  I put in some soft and fluffy Tyler just for you ;)

Tagging: @c-a-v-a-l-r-y @alievans007 @hemmyworthy

He arrives at Mumbai Central Prison just shy of ten am.  The weather is already unbearable;  hot and sticky; sweat dampening the neck of his simple army green t-shirt, the thin fabric sticking to the small of his back.  He checks in at the main office. Using the fake law enforcement credentials Nik had sent him to register as a visitor, turning in his gun and the knife that he keeps in his back pocket.

“Long way from home,” the desk clerk comments, as he holds up the identification next to Tyler's face, verifying that the man in the photo is the same as the one who now stands in front of him. “Australia? The land down under?”

“That's what it says,” Tyler shoves the ID into his wallet and slips the latter back into the side pocket of his tan cargo pants.

“What brings you here? All the way to Mumbai.”

“Business. I'm here to see Mahajan.”

The clerk's eyes widen; the drug lord doesn't get many visits, aside from his team of lawyers.  The kid had stopped coming to visit a long time ago, and they haven't seen the man servant in at least a year. He'd been the last one to come and see the old man.

“Check the book,” Tyler nods at the thick ledger sitting on the desk. It's an old school system; pen and paper when the old and weathered computers decide they've had enough for the day. “I'm in there.”

He taps the toe of his boot against the crack and faded tiles, watching as the other man flips through the thick leather bound book, and locates the proper page; a long, thin fingers trailing through every written word until he comes up with the one he wants.

“What do you want with him?” the clerk inquires. “A cop all the way from Australia?”

“Like I said, it's business. And I'm not a cop. That's not what I do.”

The man arches an eyebrow, cocks his head to the side. Unsure of what to make of the stranger across from him. Tall and broad shouldered; strong and intimidating.  “What is it you do?”

A slow grin.  “A lot of things.”

****

He's led to a waiting area. A long, narrow corridor with faded tiles and peeling wallpaper that reveals the original brick underneath.  No air conditioning.  The temperature unbearably hot.  And he uses the front of his t-shirt to clear the sweat away from his face and his forehead.  A young woman with a baby sits in a chair in the corner, watching him warily.  He's big and scary, as far as she's concerned. A stranger in their country. And as he leans back against the wall and crosses his arms over his chest, he gives her a small smile in hopes of easing some of her discomfort.

Several minutes tick by before the opens once again. An armed guard ordering the woman to stay where she is before giving Tyler a nod and jerking his head towards the main body of the prison.  No formalities or mindless chit chat are exchanged as he is led through the central office and back out into the blazing sun. Feeling the curious eyes and hearing the chatter as he follows the guard.  Sunglasses on, hiding his eyes as they survey the surroundings and the throngs of prisoners out in the yard. Always on alert. A stranger like him showing up causes a lot of speculation. And with speculation came worry. Which quickly turns into fear. If they felt threatened or spooked, there was no telling what kind of situation could explode.

“Out,” the guard orders all the visitors and prisoners currently in the visitation area.  “Hurry up and get out. Move.”

He waits as guests scurry past him and the other prisoners file out, then allows himself to be led down to the very end of the room. Nothing more than a simple metal chair and metal bars separating him from the other side. And he is still standing when Mahajan is led in; heavily armed guards on either side of him, their hands on his upper arms as they guide him, handcuffs securely fastened to his wrists. Tyler is surprised. Unimpressed. Not nearly the intimidating figure that he'd been lead to believe.  The years have not been kind to the old man; streaks of gray in his hair and beard, numerous pounds of weight lost. Maybe when he was younger he cut an imposing figure. But now he was nothing more than a pathetic old man who'd spend the rest of his life locked up.  

He sits only after Mahajan has done so and the guards depart; waiting and watching from the door.  Several minutes pass before anyone speaks; he only sounds in the room the ticking of the clock and the low hum of a window air conditioner.  Neither man looks away from the other, Tyler's hands clasped and resting on the ledge in front of him, Mahajan tapping his fingers against the bottom of the frame that holds the bars

“So you're the one,” Mahajan finally speaks.  His tone is unimpressed. Tyler supposes he doesn't fit the old man's bill of what a mercenary should look like.  He's probably younger than he expected. Not as beat up and harried as most.

“Yeah...” he nods. “...I guess I am.”

“That stupid sonofabitch was supposed to take care of you. You shouldn't even be sitting here right now. Had he done his job properly...”

“He died helping save your son. And I should have died.”

“But here you are. Sitting in front of me. Thinking you have some right to come here and demand my presence? Looking for some kind of thank you? Some kind of respect? So you can gloat about what you've done?”

“That's far from the reason I'm here.  You don't have to like me or respect me. I'm far past giving a shit about what others think of me.”

“So it's money you want then? You feel you weren't fairly compensated for the work you done. The one I hired you to do. You work for me. You don't come here in and walk in as if you own the place. As if I owe you something.”

“I don't work for you. And I don't give a shit about your money, mate. I'm here about your son.”

His eyes widen, jaw clenching.  “The trouble has gotten worse? Why are you here then? Talking to me? You should be there. At my home. Protecting my son. Not here talking to me and wasting my time.”

“I've got six armed guards always watching the place. Two that follow him to school. I've been handling things. Taking care of your kid. Because apparently you don't give a shit about him enough to keep your head on straight and stay out trouble. What kind of father does that shit? Chooses the life you had over taking care of their own flesh and blood.”

“How dare you talk to me like that!” Mahajan fumes. “How dare you come and here and question my love and loyalty to my son!”

“A year ago I had to put my ass on the line to save your son. You caused that. Because you couldn't get your shit together and just be a father. So yeah. I'm questioning your love and your loyalty to your son. The fact that you have none.”

“You have a family?”

“A wife.,” he confirms “And a baby. A daughter.”

“Are you telling me you wouldn't do anything to care for them? Provide for them?”

“There's nothing I wouldn't do for them.  I'd lay down my life for them. No questions asked. But I wouldn't do what you do.  Get rich by hurting other people.  Put drugs in the hands of kids.  Sit back counting my money while people around me die.”

“Are we really that different, you and I? Hmm? Do you not kill people for money? Hurt them? Is that not how I found you in the first place?”

“We're nothing alike, mate. We never will be.”

“Killing comes with your job, does it not? When you were rescuing my son, did you not have to kill people?” Mahajan challenges.

“It's not the same thing,” Tyler insists.

“Killing is the same no matter how it is  done. Or who does it. I bet you have taken far more lives than I have.  You have the blood of hundreds of men on your hands. You say you kill them because they deserve it. Who are you to judge them? These people that are just trying to live by any means necessary.”

“By hurting innocent people,” Tyler argues. He keeps his tone low, unaffected. Refusing to let the man get to him. “That's the difference. I help the ones who need it and I hurt the ones who don't. They aren't innocent. They hurt people. People who are weaker than them. Who can't defend themselves. We aren't the same, mate. Not by a long shot.”

“We both have blood on our hands. You say that yours is justified. In the same way I do.”

“You put drugs into the hands of kids. You made people into addicts. You ripped families apart.  I'm nothing like you.”

Mahajan smirks, leans back in his chair, eyes cold and calculated.  “Did the men you kill not have families? Children? Hmm? Were there not innocent people connected to them? You sit here, thinking you're better than me. A white man who thinks he is somewhat superior because of the colour of skin.  You walk in here with your God complex, judging me? Does your wife and your child know what you do?”

“My wife and my child have nothing to do with this.”

“You put them in harms way, do you not? You preach to me about my son and you do the same with your child. Do you think it would stop people? People that want to hurt you? You think it would stop them from hurting her because she is a baby? That won't matter to the people that hate you. The ones that want revenge.”

“Let's get one thing straight...” Tyler leans forward in his chair, trying to ignore how his blood runs cold at the man's words. A chill that starts at the roots of his hair and travels his entire body.  “...my daughter is innocent. In the same way your son is.  We are not the same. I help people. Like your son. And I bring them back to their families. Without guys like me, your son would be dead.  Without guys like you, a lot of innocent people would still be alive. We are not same.”

The older man finally relents. Holding his hands up in surrender.  “You say you're here for my son yet there's been no trouble. So why are you here? Hmm? Wasting my time?”

“I'm here because your son deserves a better life. One where he's not looking over his shoulder all the time. Where he's not constantly paying for his father's mistakes.  He shouldn't have to live like this. Alone.”

'He has everything he could possibly want. A beautiful house to live in, food on the table, an expensive school.”

“He doesn't have a family. And that's what he wants the most. He wants a family. People who love him. Who will take care of him. Who want more for his future than this bullshit existence he has now.  He has no one. All those things surrounding him, yet he's very much alone. Even you must be able to see that.”

Mahajan nods slowly, considering his words.

“My wife and I want to take him. When we leave here. We want to...”

“Take my son away from me?”  he laughs. “You come here with a request like that? My only son? My blood? Hand him to you? A stranger?”

“A stranger that already laid down his life once for him. Who'd do it again. In a heartbeat.”

“For money,” he reminds Tyler.  “You did it for money.”

“That's how it started out, yeah. But it became much more when you decided to fuck me. There was never any money. Not enough to afford me, anyway. That's why you had Saju try to kill me and steal him back. How'd that work out for you?”

Mahajan inhales sharply.

“I could have easily left your kid in the street. When I knew there was no money. I could have handed him  right over to Asif. I had the chance. My part of ten million dollars if I just handed him over. But I didn't. I kept your son alive. And for what? This shitty fucking existence? Always looking over his shoulder, waiting for the next threat? Even you must be able to see it. That he has nothing. He doesn't even have a father.”

“I'm his father!” the other man roars, and leaps to his feet.

Tyler waves the guards off when he sees them attempt to make a move towards them. “You're not his father, mate. You're just the guy who helped make him. There's a lot more to being a father like that. Swallow your fucking pride and think about your son for once. Think about the kind of life he has compared to the one he deserves.”

“You think I can't hurt you from here? That I can't take away everything and everyone you love? That you...”

“I think you need to sit down and shut up.  Don't threaten me. Or my family. Because you're not the only one who knows how to get shit done.”

The older man blinks.  His chest heaving with fury.

“Sit down,” Tyler repeats. “Or you'll see just how far I'm willing to go to protect my family.”

Mahajan sighs heavily, then reluctantly sinks back into his seat.

“We want to take Ovi with us,” Tyler continues. “When we leave here. We want to give him a proper life. The kind of life that he deserves and he wants.  You must have at least one shred of humanity left. Especially when it comes to your own son.”

“I would do anything for him. In the same way you'd do anything for your child.”

“Then do this for him. Let us take him. Let us give him a life.  One where he isn't constantly looking over his shoulder in fear. He deserves that much, doesn't he? We're fathers. You and I.  And don't we want the same thing? Don't we want to give our kids the world?”

The drug lord's face finally softens.  “Of course. I wouldn't be a father if I didn't want that.”

“Then do the right thing,” Tyler implores.  “Give us guardianship. Give us the chance to take care of the kid.  To love him.”

“And you promise to take care of him? That you would lay down your life for him if need be?”

“I've already done it once. And I'd do it again, no questions asked.”

Mahajan gives a firm nod, then waves to the guards signalling that their visit is over.  “I'll talk to my lawyer.”

***

TOMORROW. 1PM. ON THE BRIDGE.

It is a simple text that packs a powerful punch.

She's been waiting for this since the moment Jason left for Dhaka. She was tense. Impatient. Tired of the way Nik seemed to be dragging her heels despite the deal they had made.  Leary that perhaps her friend had never had any intention of actually helping her. Just leading her on and feeding her hope, only to never follow through.  Jason had been anxious to help. He wanted something more than security detail. A chance to prove that he was far more capable of bigger and better things.  The time had seemed to drag since he left; she was constantly checking her cell phone for mixed texts or emails.  But in the end, he had gotten exactly what she wanted.

She hastily makes arrangements. Plotting a way out of the house in the wee hours of the morning. Sneaking the keys to the rented SUV and making her way to the airport. If all went well, she'd be in the air and on her way to Dhaka before anyone even realized she was gone. Securing the help of an old contact that could get her a last minute seat on a small charter flying out of Mumbai.   It was the moment that she'd been waiting for. Longing for. When she would come face to face with the person that had nearly taken everything away from her.

In lieu of text she sends an email in return. Texts were too easily soon and she still had an email address under an account she she hasn't used in years.  Detailing her plans. That she'll be in Dhaka well before noon and will meet him on the bridge. With the kid.

She watches as Tyler steps into the court. That familiar lick of desire that fills her body; the heat and the pressure that builds between her legs.  It's always been that way; the powerful sexual connection between them,  the lust and want and desperate need that consumes her. It was the first time in her life that a man had had that kind of effect on her. Where her breath hitched and her raced. Where a simple touch could send her body into a frenzy. Not even her ex husband had made her feel that way. As handsome and charming that he'd been at the start.  It had taken time for those feelings to develop. Weeks. Even months.  With Tyler it had been near instantaneous. The moment those blue eyes had watched her walk into his little shack in the outback.  Those five days in that Dhaka hotel room had been unlike anything she'd ever experienced.  Completely succumbing to a man that took his time exploring every inch of her body; unselfishly concentrating solely on her and pleasuring her in ways and to heights she never thought possible.

Walking sex. She had called him that once.  And he'd just laughed, a slight blush creeping into his cheeks and the tips of his ears. But it was true. That is exactly what he is.  Broad shouldered and muscular and just so goddamn attractive.  Even in a simple t-shirt and cargo pants.

“How'd it go?” she asks, as she sits on the edge of the pool with her feet submersed, holding Amelia securely around the waist, occasionally dipping those tiny toes into the water.  Laughing every time the baby's bright blue eyes widen when her feet make contact with the cold liquid. There's real smiles now.  Wide, beaming ones that crinkle the corners of her eyes. Her father's smile.  His clone, from head to toe.

“Alright, I guess,” he pulls at the laces of his boots and toes them off, then removes his socks and rolls his pants up past the shins. “Here...” he hands her a small brown paper bag from a pharmacy he'd stopped at in Mumbai. “...for later...”

Tyler sits down alongside of her, placing his own feet in the water. Then leans over and presses a kiss to her ear.  “Hi, by the way.”

“Hi,” she smiles and kisses him. Short and sweet.  “Look who it is, Millie,” she speaks to the baby in the soft, melodic tone that she seems to enjoy the most. “Who is that guy, huh? Who is that handsome man? Is that your daddy?”  She notices the way her husband's entire face lights up;  the smile spreading from ear to ear, his features softening. A big man with an even bigger heart. “Look at the way she looks at you. The way she smiles at you. I do all the hard work and heavy lifting and all that matters is you.”

“She's a daddy's girl. Nothing wrong with that.”

She could see him years down the road. Those hands that can -and have- inflicted so much pain and suffering on those who deserved it, braiding hair or putting it in pig tails.  Maybe even indulging in playing with dolls and being a guest at tea parties. There was something both adorable and amusing at that thought; a man like Tyler Rake allowing a little girl to subject him to such things.  This was a side of him that so few got to see. That she was blessed to witness.  

“Here,” he holds his hands out towards her. “Give her to me. I'm all that matters now. You're just the one who feeds her from here on out.”

“Traitor,” Esme gives her daughter a dramatic pout and places her in those large, capable hands.  Watches the way he leans down to press a kiss to their daughter's cheek, that smile never leaving his face as he fixes the tiny sunhat and then lowers Amelia towards the pool, letting those tiny feet disappear beneath the surface.  “She's definitely yours. She loves being outside.”

“She would have loved living in the shack,” he muses. “Out there with nothing else around.”

“With a dog and a chicken for siblings,” Esme adds with a grin.

“Yeah...” he nods.  “...she would have loved bathroom chicken.”

His friend Koen lives there now. Spending the time on the repairs that needed to be, even adding on an extra room.  Taking care of the chicken and the dog.  He'd stepped up when Tyler had been incapacitated. .  Moving in without hesitation and making sure everything was being taken care of. He would visit the hospital every so often; sitting on the edge of the bed and teasing the shit out of him for being so 'bent out of shape over a flesh wound' and talking about old times. Like their booze filled camping trips and hikes  day he'd scared the shit out of their buddy Raka with a nonchalant plunge off a thirty meter cliff. Koen never asked for anything in return. Just thankful for a place to live and the feeling of doing something good and right.

“I would have made you keep bathroom chicken out of her room,” Esme says.  “That's the last place we would need all kind of chicken shit. And I wonder if he ate her yet. Koen. If bathroom chicken has met her demise.”

“Bite your bloody tongue. That's my child you're talking about.”

She rolls her eyes.  “Sometimes I think you love bathroom chicken more than me.”

“I definitely love you more. You don't shit everywhere.”

“Well that's a hell of a standard to live up to,” she laughs, and pinches his side playfully.  Opening the paper bag he'd given her, she can't help but grin. “Two tests? Are you taking one too? That's not how this works, baby.”

“Just in case the first one gets fucked up.”

“All I have to do is pee on it. It's honestly not that hard.”

“Better to be safe than sorry,” he reasons.  “I'm kind of excited.”

“About me peeing on a stick? You have weird things you enjoy as foreplay.”

“I didn't get to be there with the first one.  I didn't even know that you thought you were pregnant the first time around.”

“Well in all fairness, you had a lot on your mind. You were going through a lot. I didn't want to add something else to the plate that you had to worry about.”

He understood it. Her reason for keeping it a secret for as long as she'd had.  But part of him wishes he could have known. That he could have actually been there when she took the test.

“Well this time I get to be there,” he says. “Sounds stupid, I know. Being excited over something like that.”

“I think it sounds beautiful,” she admits, and presses a kiss to his cheek. Beard rough against her lips. And she curls an arm around his waist and uses her free hand to rub his stomach. “Tyler Rake, you big softie.”

“Easy now. Don't say that too loud. I have a reputation to uphold.”

She rests her head against his arm, feet swinging back and forth in the water.  Watching as he dotes over their tiny daughter; speaking to her in unbelievably soft and sweet tones, those huge hands so tender and careful, the smile never leaving his face. “So it went okay? With Ovi's dad?”

“He was a hard nut to crack.”

“But you did? Crack him?”

He grins. “Are you seriously questioning my nut cracking skills, right now?”

“You're more of a ass kicker than a nut cracker But go off.”

“He was pretty pissed. That I had the balls to even show up to see him. I definitely was not what he expected.  I don't think I fit the picture he had in his mind of the guy who rescued his kid.”

“Well, in all fairness, you are devastatingly handsome,” she muses. “So I can't fault him there.”

“He gave me a hard time. Kept insisting that we're the same. That we do the same things. Hurt people. Kill them.”

She frowns. “You know that's not true right?”

“Well it is what I do, right? I do hurt people. I do kill them. My hands aren't  exactly clean.”

“What you do and what he does is entirely different. You do what you do to help people. To keep them safe. He does what he does because an evil asshole. You are nothing alike. Far from it. Don't let him get into your head. His son is alive because of you. You almost died because he's a major fuck up of a father. You are not like him at all, Tyler. Did you tell him? About us wanting to take Ovi?”

“He didn't want to hear anything about it at first. But you were right. There was an ounce of humanity left.  He says he's going to talk to his lawyer. Who knows what will happen after that. But at least it's a step in the right direction, yeah?”

She nods in agreement, then falls silent. Her legs swinging back and forth, eyes riveted on the ripples in the water. She wants to tell him. About going to Dhaka.  Knowing that if he'd just listen to her reasoning and consider what she needed to do to finally heal and move on, he'd agree it was a good idea. Not a great one. But acceptable. Maybe he'd even offer to come along. Just to keep an eye on her. That city was dangerous. Unpredictable. Which had been all too clear during their first foray into city limits.

But she stays silent. The situation is under control. Jason will be there, after all.  

Besides, how much damage could one street kid do?

****

Tyler stands on the threshold of the master's en-suite bathroom; leaning against the door jamb with his arms over his chest. Watching his wife as she sits on the edge of the tub, her eyes riveted on that plastic stick across the room, as it rests on the sink ledge.  She's nervous; chewing absentmindedly on her bottom lip, palms continuously running along her thighs.

“How long does this take?” he inquires. “It's been like half an hour.”

“It's been a minute and half,” she replies.  “Two more minutes at least. There's quicker ones you could have gotten. Those digital things that pretty much give the results right away.”

“This is the first time I've ever had to buy something like this. I'm a rookie here.”

“A rookie with extremely strong and determined swimmers, apparently,” she retorts.  “Where's the baby?”

“Ovi took her downstairs.  He's playing the piano for her. He swears she likes it.”

“Another male she has wrapped around her little finger. Maybe I won't have to worry about her bringing boys home. With you two around. I can just see you. Sitting on the front porch with a shot gun on your lap.”

“I was thinking more a fully automatic. Or a grenade launcher. Or maybe even flamethrower. Maybe all three. Depending on my mood.”

“You can't keep the boys away forever. You can't keep her locked in the house.”

“You just watch me.”

She laughs at that. More nervous than amused.

“I don't know what you're so freaked out. This isn't your first rodeo.”

“It's scary,” she says. “The thought of having another human being inside of you. That relies on you for everything. I have to actually keep a tiny person alive.”

“Well you did amazing the first time,” he points out. “And considering everything else you were dealing with at the time, I'd say that makes you pretty fucking awesome.”

She smiles at him. And he shoots her a wink before wandering into the room and taking a seat on the ledge of the tub beside her.

“I'm nervous too,” he confesses, as he takes on her hands in both of his own. Her hands are soft, impossibly small within his.  “And scared.”

She looks at him. “You are?”

He nods.  “Not just because this is an awful shitty time to be going through all of this. We can get through all of that. I don't doubt that for a second. I worry about being a dad.”

“You're already a dad. And you've been one for over ten years. If we count Austin.”  And they do. Despite his suffering and his unfortunate passing, his son is still very much a part of their family.  “And you're a great dad, Tyler. An amazing dad. So don't ever doubt that. You see the way she looks at you. The way her entire face just lights up when she hears your voice. She adores you.  No one else in the world matters as much as her daddy.”

“Sorry about that by the way,” he grins. “That she loves me more than you,”

“That's harsh, Tyler. First I spend nine months getting fat and gross and puking all the time and then you go and say something like that.  I do know divorce lawyers, you know.”

“You'd never get rid of me.  And you weren't fat and gross by the way. You were beautiful. You always are. But even more beautiful when you were having her. Knowing that I was the one who helped but her there. That that was my baby inside of you.”

She leans into him, placing a kiss on his shoulder. “I like this side of you. The sappy one.”

“Just don't tell anyone, okay? I'd never live it down. I need people to think I'm a bad ass.”

“I don't think anyone could ever say you aren't a bad ass. You killed a man with a garden rake.”

“Two,” he corrects. “With the same garden rake. I'm just saying.”

She settles against him; head against his shoulder, her hand tightly clenched between his.

“What if it happens again?” he inquires.

“Having to kill a man with a garden rake?”

“No,” he can't help but chuckle. “Although that is always a possibility. Anything can happen. I mean Austin. And his cancer. What if that happens again?”

“The chances of that happening are slim to none.”

“But there's still a chance.”

“There's a chance we could walk out of the house tomorrow and get hit by a bus,” she gently argues. “His cancer wasn't genetic. It just happened, Tyler. It was nothing you or your ex caused. It just happened.”

“I just worry about it. I can't help it. Sometimes I'll watch Millie sleeping and think about it. What I'd do if she got sick. How I don't think I'd be able to handle it. Seeing her suffer. I'm worried I'm going to make the same mistake. Run away like I did. Because I'm a fucking coward.”

“You are many things, Tyler. But a coward is not one of them. It's fight or flight. Your flight drive was stronger than your fight. It happens.”

“But it shouldn't have happened. That's the point.”

She rubs his back; palm moving in slow, smooth, comforting circles. “Think of it this way, if things hadn't have have happened the way they did, we probably wouldn't be here right now.  We probably would have never even met. You would have been on an entirely different path and our lives probably never would have connected. And that's worth something, right? You and I? Millie? What happened was horrible and you didn't deserve that. And Austin definitely didn't deserve it. But we're here. Millie and I. And that has to make up for everything else somehow right?”

“Of course it does.”  If someone had have told him a year ago that he'd end up a husband and father again, he would have told them that they were insane. He had been struggling to find a way to keep on living when all he wanted to do was die. And he'd found a reason to keep on, keeping on. Something...someone...that gave him a purpose.  Now he couldn't imagine his life without them. That feeling of completeness that comes with knowing you matter to someone. That they rely on you.

“You are way too hard on yourself,” she says, and tousles his hair. “Try seeing yourself through my eyes. Just once.”

“I'll try,” he promises, and she smiles and a lays a hand against his cheek, covering his lips with hers in a long, soft kiss. “I think it's time. You ready?”

“As I'll ever be, I guess. You?”

“Not really, no. But I guess we have to find out.”

“You do it.  I got to do it the first time. This one is all yours.”

“That's it, put all the pressure on me,” he teases, and gives her hand one last squeeze and a kiss to the forehead before standing up and approaching the sink.

“Well?” her voice is shaky. Perhaps a mixture of both nerves and anticipation.  “What does it say?”

“I'm not sure.  What does two pink lines mean?”

The tears prick her eyes. Her lower lip quivers.

“It means we're having a baby.”

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[real-jaune-isms]

RWBY Volume 7 Chapter 9 Rundown

I felt very satisfied for the first 90% of this episode but then I got kinda annoyed in the literal final 40 seconds before the credits. But that’s just my own growing agitation for Cinder, so it’s fine. We’ll get to that later.

There isn’t exactly a very happy vibe at the start of the chapter though, as it opens on the cold streets of Mantle as the cold is now likely setting in something fierce and people have realized the heat is gone. As Maria and Pietro welcome folks into the shelter of his pharmacy, some of those inside wonder if this same problem is affecting Atlas as well, and if this dangerous change was done intentionally by the city on high. The two kind elders stare up at Atlas with growing concern.

In the dinning room once more, the council continues to bring up criticisms that have been leveled at Ironwood, specifically that he has two council seats. He tries to counter there are checks and balances to make sure he doesn’t misuse his authority, but they interject that he has been ignoring those regulations and making major decisions all on his own. The General tries to defend himself and say he had no intention of running amiss of the rules, but Councilman Sleet reminds him that intention and action are not always the same and his actions have been wrong. Speaking of making wrong decisions without meaning to, a faunus servant comes in to whisper concerning news in Jacques ear, presumably that the SDC Heating Grid has been off for a while and people are freezing. And it was done on his authorization. Guess Watts just loves to frame people. As Jacques urges the staff member to check the system again and grows visibly concerned, Sleet notices he’s not paying attention and pulls him back into the conversation. He tries to act like he knows what’s going on and agrees with what Sleet was saying, then claims he has no further concerns or questions. But Robyn is by no means done yet, badgering Ironwood about all his secrecy and fears that he refuses to share with the council. He says he fears Atlas becoming a tragic site like Vale or attacked like Haven, but she knows there’s more to it and wants to use her lie detector Semblance to force the truth out of him and test if he’s hiding something. The pressure is palpable, and we know he wants to be more open after the talk he had with Oscar...

But then the door behind Jacques slams open to reveal Weiss with a Phoenix Wright worthy OBJECTION to this one sided accusation. She knows the real culprit for the killing of anti-Ironwood speakers, and the fraudulent election, and she claims Jacques not only knows him in name but knows him personally. With such an accusatory prelude she sets Willow’s Scroll on the table and projects the video big enough that Camilla and Sleet can recognize Arthur Watts, who was thought to be dead since the “Paladin Incident” years ago. Papa Schnee feigns confusion and ignorance, but Daddy Ironwood stands in steely determination and tells Weiss to play the video. It shows the tail-end of Jacques conversation with the bad Doctor, how he hates Ironwood for the embargo and wishes he could fire everyone to save money, and we get to see just what Watts had in mind for Jacques to have his cake and eat it too. Watts is pissy and petulant that Ironwood disgraced him despite his genius contributions and wants to return the humiliation he received ten-fold. All Jacques has to do is give Watts his login for the Atlas Network and promise he’ll make ol’ Jimmy’s life a nightmare, and Watts will manipulate the polls to guarantee he gets that Council seat. Robyn seems very pissed off to learn the voting was rigged and she would have actually won like she had hoped. Jacques, or at least the version in the video, is delighted at the offer and commends Watts for his cutthroat “business” strategy. Ironwood has had enough of this, and Weiss stops the video so they can all glare at Jacques. He tries to get up to run and claims the video is fake. Sleet tells him to SIT. BACK. DOWN. but instead he bolts for the door only to find Weiss’ Knight standing guard and ready to take him down. By the power vested in her by the Kingdom of Atlas, Weiss arrests her father for treason... but maybe she doesn’t actually have the power to do that? It’s unclear but I definitely hope she can. Her entire relationship with her father has been based on him having power and control over her, her wanting to earn his approval and remain on his good side or suffer the consequences of his rage. The crux of her character arc has been recognizing her old way of living was unacceptable and finding ways to get free of that control and influence to become her own strong person. Now, through her hard work, she has more power than him and he has to do what she says or suffer the consequences of his actions against justice. But on the other hand you have to wonder what legal authority Huntsmen have to make arrests and the like. They’re not military or police officers, but they do handle more dangerous threats than the common man. If their job involves apprehending human criminals then they probably would be sanctioned to make arrests. To draw reference to another of my favorite shows, perhaps they are akin to deputized vigilantes like Green Arrow and his team on Arrow? They have specialized skills with which to handle threats the regular military and police aren’t trained enough for.

But breaking off from that topic and back down to one such criminal, Watts is standing on the street catching a snowflake in the palm of his glove before he sees people looting a store that I SWEAR is called Dust in the Wind. Desperate civilians have already started burning things to create a big enough fire so they can keep warm, and a few stolen Fire Dust crystals get thrown in to make it really flare up. Atlas soldiers are watching on and requesting advice on what to do. Glad they’re not stopping them forcefully since no one really knows the procedure for all the heat not working and this being the only way to live in warmth at the moment. Watts relishes in the chaotic moment and is joined by Tyrian.

We go back to the dining room where the adults stand around a sitting Jacques to continue interrogating him while the teens stand off to one side. As Ironwood berates the still defensive Schnee for stooping for such disgraceful lengths to get what he couldn’t fairly earn, Clover gets a blip in his earpiece and walks away to take the message, likely about the freezing crisis. Jacques warns Ironwood he’ll hurt his knees if he keeps jumping to such wild conclusions, but no avail. Better switch condiments, cuz that weak sauce ain’t working on the General. Now that he knows Watts is around and willing to cause trouble, all the loose ends are tying together quite smoothly. Since he made the Mantle security network he would know exactly how to manipulate it and work with Tyrian to do such violent acts and frame good people for it. Penny still seems pretty upset over her tarnished reputation because of that. And to top all of the scandalous deeds of Arthur Watts off, all of that was just to help Jacques cheat through the election. I should like to note that as Ironwood is giving Jacques the works he is backed by a smirking portrait of an armored Nicholas Schnee, as if even now the founder of this great company of his is amused by just how badly his son in law has fucked up royal. Jacques didn’t even consider the consequences of his alliance, he only saw the way it benefited him. There is blood on his hands for this, and he needs to be held accountable in a court of law for both his treason against the safety of his kingdom and the lives it lost. He is of course very much against this idea, all he intended was to win the election after all! But like Councilman Sleet said earlier, what you intend and what you are responsible for doing are not always the same thing. An excuse like that is not enough, and Robyn is physically enraged that he would try to trivialize the deaths of good people, to the point that she throws a chair across the room. Councilwoman Camilla asks the important question, what will Watts be able to do with the power Jacques gave him? They can only speculate into the grim infinitudes, until all their scrolls start buzzing with the concrete facts of just what he’s done. The heat is off, and Jacques can’t even log in to fix it anymore since Watts took his account and locked him out. The bastard tries to save his own hide and distance himself from the situation by saying he didn’t know Watts was planning this, but Winter tells him to SHUT. UP. and fix the heating grid, but he reveals what I did just now about no longer having access. Sleet voices the depressing obvious as Ironwood stares at his scroll and Robyn looks out the window, both in solemn concern: if the heat doesn’t come back on people WILL die. Ruby tries to get the General’s mind off of desperate what-ifs to focus on the facts of how things are right now. Since they know whose credentials Watts is using they can follow his network activity, but he would now have the ability to find out about the Amity project and get into its network. Fortunately, he hasn’t looked hard enough yet so neither he or Salem know about it. Weiss asks if they can lock the good doctor out, but he’s already set to work blocking their access instead. They can’t exactly trace him if he’s on the move so they need to lure him out so they can get to his access point. Robyn interjects, since she has been listening to all this cryptic talk and planning with no one paying any mind to her still being in earshot, that people as vastly different as Tyrian and Watts banding together seems rather farfetched without some larger factor. Their unanimous decision to go after Ironwood in particular seems even stranger with only one of them having much motive, and she still doesn’t get why Ironwood is keeping the Amity Tower a secret. James is quite shocked that she even knows about that, and I’m sure Blake and Yang will have a rather sheepish confession to make. 

But we don’t see that, because instead we bear witness to Atlesian Knight robots being sent in to dispel the rioters gathered around the massive fire. But as Pietro and Maria watch on in silent shock, the people of Mantle lash out hard at these cold metal symbols of a cold ruling society and smash two of the robots. But these heated emotions are the tipping point and the streets start lighting up red to warn the civilians. Grimm are coming, and they are coming in mass. Mammoth-like Megoliaths and swiftly vicious Sabyrs are charging at the massive gap in the border wall, and the assembled Atlas soldiers and robots are not enough to hold the line, while Manta aircraft on bombing runs do nothing to slow the pack or thin the numbers. The Sabyrs are the first to get in and demolish the robots at ground level, and unidentified avian Grimm fly over the heads of the soldiers on top of the wall.

The scene shifts again from that chaos to the dining room again for a calmer moment of building faith, as Robyn admits she now sees just how much Ironwood is trying to protect with all the work he’s doing and the secrets that means keeping. She recognizes he has genuine fear for what will happen if the truth comes out. But the moment is stalled there as Clover and Oscar burst in to inform everyone about the Grimm swarming into Mantle, and how the airfleet can’t do much of anything or else it might result in civilian casualties. Ironwood goes back into beard-stroking panic mode, this is precisely what he hoped wouldn’t happen. Clover urges him to send in ground support to handle the Grimm within the city, but Robyn insists nowhere in the city will be safe if it gets completely overrun. Evacuating people up to Atlas with the airfleet should be their priority. But Daddy Ironwood has to raise his voice, he can’t move the fleet for any evacuation measures or else Atlas would be vulnerable instead. He worked so hard to keep everyone safe, and it’s all falling to pieces in the worst way. But Oscar is there to offer his advice again, though Ironwood rudely rebuffs him that he doesn’t want that. He wants Ozpin’s advice, but Oscar tells him that’s not the fix all answer he wishes it were. Oz would have told him to keep secrets, but Ironwood already knew that wasn’t the right way to go and made his own new and better plan. That plan has failed, the General argues, but that just means the day he was preparing for is upon them already. It’s time to tell the truth and have faith that the world will accept it, starting with Robyn and the council. Ruby assures him, he will not be alone in this. That puts the wind back in his sails, and he starts making a plan. Oscar is probably best off going back to the Academy for safety, and Ironwood needs to have a talk with his critics. In the meantime, the huntresses and huntsmen need to head down into the fray to do what they do best. And that means everyone is coming, even Penny. They still trust and believe in her, and the people will too. Winter has a look of approval as Ruby starts calling the shots, she definitely sees growth from how unimpressive the young rose seemed at Beacon. Clover couldn’t have said it better himself, and they all go running out the door... past a servant who had been in the dining room a couple times last episode bringing in drinks. She watches the trained warriors all leave, and smirks. Creepy.

As everyone else heads out the door, Ruby and Oscar stop for a moment to try and talk, and of course they talk over each other and act like a couple of dorks. They both think that since Ironwood is revealing everything he knows, they ought to do the same. But a lot of the fans are just thinking how they seem like such a cute adorkable couple. Y’all know who I ship so I can’t say too much about this, but I do certainly think it’s fun how they get along so well and seem to be on the same wavelength. Anyway, Ruby wants to be the one to tell Ironwood but duty calls so it has to be Oscar. Marrow is not amused by their awkwardness, or by the fact that Ruby uses finger-guns. Still, the Ace Ops, Qrow, and the young huntsmen head down in an airship where Clover lays down a reminder that their priority is saving people not racking up a Grimm kill count. Ren seems very distressed, so Nora holds his hand and it seems to help a little. They both feel a bit safer being able to feel that they still have each other, and Blake and Yang share a look that seems to imply the same sentiment even if they’re not going to hold hands too. As the ship soars swiftly downward into the danger, we see a streak of danger soaring above them too.

Back to the political scene, Sleet and Camilla are quietly discussing the world changing whiplash they just had  from Ironwood telling them about Salem existing, and how they almost can’t believe it’s true but know he wouldn’t make something that serious up. Robyn, meanwhile, is just staring at the ground as if thinking to herself “I know I asked what he was hiding, but I immediately regret asking”. She looks over to the closed door, and we cut to the other side to see the General in his own mind shattering crisis. Oscar told him everything they know about Ozma and Salem’s past, how as far as they know she’s immortal and they can’t do a damn thing to change that. He’s understandably upset that Ozpin kept this from all of them, you can almost hear anguish and sadness in his voice, but Oscar affirms that it was for the sake of keeping hopes alive so they would stay motivated. Oscar also apologizes on behalf of RWBY and co. for likewise keeping it a secret, but they just didn’t know who could be trusted to know. Of all people Ironwood would understand that. But now was the time to bare it all, before anything terribly important was lost for good. It might be too late for that though, Ironwood’s hope seems pretty broken now. The poor boy tries to make sure the General is okay, to see what he’s going to do now that he knows all this, and for a second it seems like even he doesn’t know. But his head finds a firm place back on his shoulders and his gaze returns to the task at hand. Grand scheme matters will have to wait, they need to save Mantle. Oscar seems proud, says Ozpin would be too. Atlas is providing the hope it was always meant to, since such a marvel of ingenuity and power is supposed to be held to standards matched only by its altitude. I’m paraphrasing, but the way Oscar says it seems all too familiar to Ironwood, as if he was there to see Atlas get its start. It would seem there’s more of Ozpin in Oscar than even he realizes, or maybe there hasn’t been much Oscar himself in there for a little while?... But we don’t have time for that, because their transports have arrived and they need to go. The two agree that neither of them could handle any more surprises, but it’s the huntsmen and huntresses who are in for the surprise. 

A new Grimm called a Teryx that as you would expect resembles a pterodactyl has latched onto the ship and no matter what fancy flying Harriet does to shake it loose it’s not budging. All that comes of it is Jaune starting to get airsick for the first time since Volume 1 and the Grimm moving around to the starboard side and digging its talons into the wall, right between Blake and Yang’s heads. Any further to either side and one of them might have died. The news only gets worse as another Teryx dive bombs them and damages the starboard engine. They all agree now would be a good time to bail and just get to the ground, and Clover opens the side door... on the side where the Grimm is. As his copious luck would have it, the damaged engine breaks loose and takes the Teryx down in a ball of flame so they’re safe to jump. As the kids start jumping, Elm playfully tells Harriet not to stay on board too much longer and she responds with sarcastic thanks. Not friends my ass, they all get along so well! Harriet decides to be a little extra with her exit and punches the windshield to go out onto the roof, inviting Ruby to try and keep up. Ruby gives a smile with more purity than distilled mountain spring water and follows her. Clover and Qrow are the last to jump, and Clover tries to show off a little for his boyfriend.

We go back to Schnee Manor for the last time as Jacques is being taken away by soldiers and Willow watches from the front door. Whitley is sitting sadly on the stairs alone, and Willow looks over to him with a slight smile. Clearly, she feels like the worst is behind them and hopefully they can try to be a real family now, but he runs away up the stairs. I don’t blame the poor kid, he feels like he has no one now. His mom has always preferred to drown her despair in liquor over being a present parental figure, and his sisters see him as an annoyance whom they never give the time of day. His father was the only one who showed him any attention or guidance, and that was so he could mold the boy in his image. He played along and did as he was told because no one else was there for him to give him much choice. Whitley probably wants to get along and be cared about by his sisters, but they thought the worst of him because he chose to listen to the father they wanted nothing to do with. Its a tragedy of circumstances, and it gives new context to lots of old scenes. The poor kid probably was kinda hurt that Weiss didn’t even say hello or show joy in seeing him again when she arrived for the party last episode. I definitely hope these two can recover and find a happier life. But as Jacques is brought to the armored truck, complaining all the way, we instead focus on a member of the staff leaving rather nonchalantly: the same young woman we saw smirking at everyone leaving earlier. She even starts skipping and if you couldn’t tell the twist already the familiar creepy music should make it obvious; Neo is already in Atlas, and if she’s here then Cinder can’t be far behind. Neo goes to a locked room in an unknown building with wall to wall windows showing the city outside, and sure enough there’s the fiery cockroach herself waiting for her companion’s return. Neo was in disguise to do recon since Cinder would stick out too much in a crowd, and it seems she found what they’re looking for. That sounds quite ominous and troublesome, and I’m a little annoyed that at the first sign of the new interesting villains getting exposed and being in our heroes crosshairs we return to the old villains who’re still trying the same old shtick. Still, at this point they almost feel like the Pilaf gang from original Dragon Ball, once the worst thing our heroes had to deal with but are now practically comedy relief villains who still think they’re the top threat. I’m not that mad, I just don’t much like Cinder and her nefarious schemes anymore. Still, doesn’t detract from the great satisfying episode.

[dreamddana]

Recovery (EUNWOO)

Cha Eunwoo x Reader

POV: 3rd Person

Category: Fluff, Angst

Summary: Reader (Y/N) is a secret agent assigned to work undercover as an intern to gather information about the sketchy forensic science team that collects data for the police department. She gets to be mentored by the head scientist-detective, Cha Eunwoo. 

“We’ll leave you with the team for about 6 months. Here’s your personal data, inside includes everything that makes up your undercover persona.” Chief says, handing me a brown envelope. “You’ll be an intern, we’ve submitted your records to the facility and they’re expecting you today. Hopefully, you’ll be taken care of well there. Try to find out as much as you can about the team and their head scientist.” He goes on explaining to you what you can’t and can do. 

No giving away your real identity. No sharing of classified information. No falling in-love. No secret ties. No unfulfillable promises to anyone. Basically don’t be stupid. In 6 months, gather as much information about the team. Try to get hands-on with their projects. Report everything at the end of the week.

You, dressed work formal in a suit, get out of the car and walk into the precinct. You’re greeted by a tall, dark-haired man in a sweater with files and a cup of cofffee. Casual? He holds the door open for you as he reads a sheet of paper in his hands. He then scurries away. 

“You must be Althea Venn, the forensic intern.” A middle-aged man greets you. 

Name: Althea Maybelline Venn

“Yes! Good morning.” You smile. 

The man smile back. “My name is Miles, the head of the forensic department. I’ll be your boss.” Is he the target? “I’m not sure if the entire team is there yet since it’s only 7:30, usually they arrive around 8.” He says, with his hand on his chin, as if he was thinking. “But I think Eunwoo is there already, he’s always early.” He laughs and asks you to follow him to the office. 

You take the elevator to the top floor and then the stairs going up. “We like to keep the lab and office upstairs where its open and free so it doesn’t make the entire building stuffy.” He explains. You both arrive at the room top and walk to a room with pretty high ceilings. The room was full of test tubes, machines and sciencey stuff. 

“So, Althea, this is the forensic lab and office, its where-” He gets cut off by his phone ringing. “Hold on, I have to take this.” He excuses himself and leaves the room to take the call.

You take a look around, scanning the room for all the evidence, open files, prints and samples you could find. An open folder catches you eye. You walk toward it, and take a glance. 

“Excuse me?” You hear a male voice say. You’re caught off guard and stand up straight right away to greet the man. “What are you-” He stops talking, then continues to say “Oh, you’re the girl from earlier at the entrance.” He says. He walks toward a desk to put his coffee down then proceeds to you where he finds the open file. “Snooping on files?” He interrogates you.

You’re at a loss for words.

He laughs, breaking his straight face. “Bet you thought you were in trouble.” He says, sliding the files toward him and taking a look at them. “I think these are a copy of your data actually.” You give him a puzzled look. “Althea?” 

You two sit down by a desk. He opens the folder of paper with all your fake information on it. “You’re the new intern, huh? Do you have any idea what we do here?” He asks. You shake your head. He lets out a light scuff. “Well, Althea, I’m Eunwoo, the head of the forensics team. I’ll be guiding you through everything we do.” He smiles, closing the folder.

“Eunwoo?” You repeat. He nods his head. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.” You say.

“Oh, no need for formal credentials. We’re all pretty chill and casual here.” He says. “Which is why I didn’t think much of you when I saw you earlier. I thought you were a new detective cause you were wearing a suit.” He chuckles. “I’ll introduce you to the rest of the team when they arrive, but for now, you can just relax. I’ll just test a few samples.” He says, standing from his chair and walking toward the lab area.

You take a glance around the room and then immediately snap yourself back into the reality that you’re on a mission. Miles comes back into the room. He looks at you then at Eunwoo who was busy working, gives you a thumbs-up and leaves once again.

“Althea.” Eunwoo calls out. Yeah, you forgot that was you. “Hello? Earth to Althea?” He says, trying to catch your attention. When you finally snap into your senses and stand up and ask what he needs. He laughs, “Could you check the pile of folders on my desk for someone named Jason Dean?” 

You run through about 4 folders before you find Jason Dean’s file. You take it to Eunwoo. And he explains to you how the blood found on a piece of evidence matched with Dean. 

“See, since he’s an old criminal, we already have his file.” He says. “This case we’re testing on is another homicide. And they he’s a suspect because they found his car about 7 feet away from where the victim was found deceased.” You try your best to understand the information. “So, since his blood was found, he’s one of the top suspects.”

“If you hadn’t found that evidence, would he still be a suspect?” You ask. “What if he was just around the area?” You continue, as if you were defending him. 

Eunwoo chuckles. “You really are something. Defending an ex-convict.” He says while trying pour a chemical into the blood sample. Before you could defend yourself, he drops the tube and it spills on the counter. 

You take a cloth from the other side of the counter and motion to wipe it off. He grabs yous arm before you got to close. “Don’t touch it.” He says, sounding concerned. “It might give you a chemical burn.” He takes the cloth from you and wipes all the liquid off. He was wearing gloves. 

After, he tries to pick up all the glass that shattered. “Learn from me, focus on whatever you’re doing.” He laughs lightly. You help him pick up the glass, and you feel a sharp pain in your hand. You lightly groan and look down to see the glass sticking out of your hand. 

Eunwoo looks at you and asks you to sit down. He comes back carrying a first aid-kit. He brings out a pair of tweezers and carefully extracts the glass from your hand. “You should be more careful.” He says sounding really concern. 

“Sorry.” He looks at you and shakes his head, saying “No, don’t be sorry.”

After cleaning the wound, he puts a minions-designed band-aid on it. 

“Really? Minions?” You laugh.

“Hey, minions are like the best thing ever.” He defends his love for minions, making you laugh even more. 

He looks at you as you laugh your ass off. 

It was lunch time. You were sat down by the desk after the accident until Eunwoo asked you to read up on a certain case and review the pieces of evidence that was gathered. 

“I’ll just finish transferring these and we can have lunch, alright?” Eunwoo says, continuing to work with chemicals. “Alright.” You tell him.

As soon as he finished, he takes his surgical gloves off and tosses them in the trash. “Lets go.” He says, grabbing his phone and wallet and proceeding outside. You follow him.

As you both walk downstairs, he checks his phone and sighs. “The rest of the team isn’t going today.”

“Why not?

“It was Friday yesterday, they probably went out drinking again.”

“You don’t drink?”

“I do, with the right people.”

“What does that mean?”

“They’re a little to wild for me.” He chuckles in embarrassment.

“What did you do last night?” You put emphasis on you. “Read?” 

He stays silent and you burst into laughter.

“My mentor is middle aged mom.” You tease. And he just goes along and laughs with you.

You then arrive at a burger place, shake shack. You both order shackburger and cola. 

“So tell me about yourself.” Eunwoo says, munching on his burger.

“You have my data files, you should know everything about me.” You smirk.

“To be fair, all that includes is your basic information, background of study, list of certifications and achievements and the letter saying why you think you should be allowed to intern with us.” He explains.

“That’s my entire life.” You laugh, and he rolls his eyes on you. “Alright well what do you want to know?” You ask, then take a bite off your burger.

“I don’t know really.” He says, scratching the back of his neck. “How about just who you are in general?” 

“My name is Althea Maybelline. I’m 23. I was able to rent out a studio apartment a few blocks away from the precinct. I’m very broke but I the guys who got me the internship give me a weekly allowance.” You tell him. He would nod after everything you said and look as if he was paying attention to you. “I really want to go around the city, I used to live in the UK so this is all pretty new.” You say with excitement in your eyes.

He would look at you with all attentiveness as you spoke.

You continue to tell him about how interested you are in learning so much more now that you’re here.

It had been awhile since someone actually listened to me, you thought.

“How about you tell me bout yourself?” You ask.

“Oh.” He almost coughs on his burger, making you giggle.

Your giggle makes him smile a little.

“Well, for starters, I’m Korean. I’m turning 25 in a few weeks. I live in a house also a couple of blocks away, with my baby cousin; her parents are abroad so I took her in.” He says, picking some fries. “I have pet fish.” He says, really excited and enthusiastically, which you giggle at.

“Stop laughing at me.” He says, laughing as well. “Anyway,” He continues. I usually get out of work early to pick my cousin up, but recently she’s been wanting to go home on her own.” He says as he looks out the window. “She’s growing up so fast, I can’t help but feel a little sad about it.” He says, smiling and shaking his head. He looks at you and catches you staring at him with bright eyes, so invested in his whole being. You both look away, and he breaks the awkwardness by asking you about your family

“When my parents split up, they went separate ways, making their own families and I guess they forgot about me. I worked most of the time while I was in high school and college, eventually graduating with honors. Then they contacted me and asked me to do things like this.” You say and then flinch and clear up, saying “internships and such.”

“Woah, I’m with a pretty cool girl.” He says, smiling at you.

“I’m nothing special.” You laugh.

“Whatever you say” He joins you laughing.

-

thats it for now!! ill update this again soon! hope you enjoyed :>