#atomgrad

[q3a]

[stillunusual]

Happy birthday Pripyat!

The city was founded on 4th February 1970, as the ninth nuclear city ("atomgrad") in the Soviet Union, to house the workers of the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

I spent two days in Pripyat and Chernobyl at the end of November 2021. Three months later, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was occupied by the Russian army, who invaded from neighbouring Belarus....

[brav0-6]

CAPTAIN PRICE’S DEATH STARE | MWII ATOMGRAD RAID

[imrowanartist]

The aftermath of Atomgrad

[avianii]

MY HANDS. ARE SHAKIMG

WE GOT THE GUY. ONLY TOOK LIKE...2 HOURS BUT WE GOT HIM

@kazanskys-mitchell @alygatorcrocodile we are literally so pro

[graphicpolicy]

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week! 12 comics to check out this week! #comics #comicbooks #manga #graphicnovel

Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at! Find out what…

[smashpages]

Out this week: Chernobyl: The Fall of Atomgrad (Palazzo Editions, $18.95): 

Matyas Namai writes and draws this in-depth and stark look at the impact the 1986 nuclear catastrophe at Chernobyl had on the wildlife, towns and villages surrounding the site, not to mention the nuclear plant itself and everyone who worked there.

See what else is arriving in comic shops this week.

[wouldthatbetheenemy]

steamin jesus raid ep.01 in MW2 is fuckin hard - like every. single. section just gets harder?? the four (4!) minute countdown at the end is literally insane??? juggernauts and drones and *armoured* fuckin enemies by the literal dozen?!?!

infinity ward turn on your location i just wanna talk

[ncthandrake]

Modern Warfare (2019) // Modern Warfare II: Atomgrad Episode 2 (2023)

[codmw2019-2022]

Modern Warfare Character Ages [2019 + 22]

Preface: Just wanted to add before getting into this that this is my interpretation of the character ages based on information from the games, confirmed information, research into the military/CIA and collage/university course information. This is by no means meant to be a definite statement about character ages, I'm happy to discuss or change any of the information here within reason.

I would also like to credit @sleepyconfusedpotato and @oleworldblues posts with their own opinions on the character ages. Which helped base my own thoughts and provided some good information that they had found. You can find Sleepy's post here and Blue's here they are really good posts and they both explain their own reasons for how they perceive the main cast of modern warfare's ages.

Farah & Hadir Karim : 30 & 32 [2022]

Both Farah and Hadir's ages have been confirmed by Taylor Kurosaki who is one of the writers from Modern Warfare 2019. This was confirmed when a fan ask him via twitter/X about how old Farah was during the Barkov invasion.

This means in 1999 when Barkov invaded Farah was 7 and Hadir was 9. In 2009 when they escaped they are 17 and 19 respectively and in 2019 they are 27 and 29. Hadir dies in December of 2022 as discovered in the Atomgrad raids at the age of 32.

John Price : 37 [2022]

Using the information provided from his original operator bio we find that "John Price joined the infantry at the age of sixteen and has served the British Army for 18 years." and that "he was ‘Badged’ a member of SAS in 2005, spending the next ten years in the Middle East, the horn of Africa.".

With this Price's age works out to be about 34 years old, but since it only mentions serving the British army. I added 4 years for him to be able to complete basic training which is roughly 18 weeks basic training.* Followed by Special Air Service (SAS) training with is roughly a couple months, but you must serve at least 18 months in the military to be selected**, and finally his training at the Royal Military Academy to become a Lieutenant and then Captain which is 44 weeks with 2-3 weeks of leave.***

So Price would join the British army at 16 in 2001, be badged a member of SAS at 20 in 2005, become Captain at 25 in 2010. In 2019 he would be 34 and finally 37 in 2022, which to me makes the most sense based on other character's ages.

*[army.mod.uk solider training] **[eliteukforces.info SAS] [eliteukforces.info SBS&SAS] ***[army.mod.uk officer training]

Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick : 32 [2022]

We can do the same process as we did with Price for Gaz, his operator bio says "Kyle ‘Gaz’ Garrick, enlisted in the British Army in 2008. Within four years, he passed selection for Her Majesty’s elite Special Air Service where he is currently rounding out a decade of service."

Since his bio never mentions what age he joins like with Price and Soap I'm going to assume he finished school and joined the military at 18. So Gaz is 18 in 2008, 29 in 2019 when he meets Price for the first time and 32 in 2022. I am not taking into consideration the archived Activision blog posts, which say he joined in 2014 because of them being archived. I do use it for some other characters but for Gaz it changed the date he joined not just giving extra information.

Johnny 'Soap' MacTavish : 26 [2022]

You can blame Activision for why Soap is so young compared to the others. So according to his updated operator bio, "Soap has spent the last seven years carrying out both covert and overt operations around the world." this with the contents of his old operator bio before MW3 "At 16, too young to sign up, but lying about his age, MacTavish enrolled in the Special Air Service…"

Means that Soap would be 23 in 2022, which doesn't make the most sense especially considering he is a Sergeant in 2019 meaning he would be 20 in the MW3 flashback. So I gave him the same treatment as Price and added 3 years, to make up for basic and SAS training. So he would be 16 in 2012 joining the British Army have to wait 18 months to apply for SAS, be roughly 18 when he starts SAS training and finish it at 19 in 2015.*

So making him now 23 in 2019, 26 in 2022 but since he lied about his age TF 141 would think he's 28 during MW2 or 25 during 2019.

*[jobs.army.mod.uk SAS reserve]

Alex Keller : 35 [2022]

Alex is one of the last characters who have dates or years of service in their information. From his Campaign Biography it says he was a part of, "CIA's Special Activities Division," and also has surrendered "his former rank and history of special ops military service with Army Delta, Alex sacrificed traditional contact and association with family to join the SAD. He has spent the last six years living a series of assumed identities to achieve “sensitive” objectives wherever he is needed."

There's also, "Through 2017, Alex’s units played a key role in ensuring definitive victories against emerging terrorist networks." So we know Alex has been working in the military before 2017, now most SAD members are former Delta operators. There's also some reports of SAD members having Master's and law degrees.* So with that we can add roughly 6 years to his age to complete a master's degree in law.**

Now Delta force has some requirements like being over 21 to join and having two and a half years of service remaining, so if Alex joined the US military at 18 after finishing High School and getting his diploma.*** In a couple years he could join Delta Force, so by 26 he would be able to be apart of CIA's SAD. (If studying part time while in Delta Force) Then adding the another six years which is when he is apart of SAD, which is mention in his biography as the last six years. The bio is published late 2019 so Alex would be 32 years old.

So Alex would join the Military at 18 in 2005, would be 32 in 2019 when he loses the lower half of one of his legs and 35 in 2022.

*[CIA SAD] **[coursera.org law school] ***[Delta Force] [US Military Requirements]

Now for the Characters with little infomation

Alejandro & Rodolfo : both 37

We find out they've known each other for 20 years and signed up together. So they are both younger than 38 but older than 30 since Alejandro is a Colonel. Looking at Wikipedia you can/have to join 18 the Mexican military for at least 3 years, this gives them about maybe two years to get to know each other before joining together.

Ghost : 35 [2022]

Honestly just pick an age between Price and Gaz, I personally like the idea of him being the same age as Alex and having them know each other previously. Maybe even before Ghost starts wearing the skull mask.

Laswell & Nikolai : 52 & 45 [2022]

No older that 52 and 45 if we go based on their actors ages, which personally makes the most sense to me. Laswell's Campaign biography mentions her supervising a SAD program in 2008, and her having studied a Master's degree in strategic intelligence analysis and having a BA in International Affairs. This doesn't help much though with figuring out her age.

AN: Hopefully this very long post is some what helpful or at least has some good resources that people can check out, especially fanfic writers or people making their own OCs.

I'm also going to repeat what I put at the top the end here. But what I've written down is not a definitive answer for their ages (minus Farah & Hadir) it's just what I personally think makes the most sense.

Don't let my own opinions/conclusions about their ages get in the way of you having fun with how you view/interpret these characters.

[sleepyconfusedpotato]

The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that Farah and Alex don't know what happened in Las Almas and the 141.

Alex said, "Heard you died in a tank in South America."

-> He heard. He doesn't know the whole story about how he died or who supposedly killed him. It didn't even cross his mind that Graves personally knows the TF141.

"South America", Las Almas is in North America. That means what Alex heard is indeed just a rumor. He doesn't know how, who killed him, what happened, or anything. He and Farah don't know any specifics at all. Nada. It's possible that Farah had only just known Graves when he entered that room.

Now here's the kick : Look at Graves' and the Shadow's face + body language beside him as soon as Alex said it :

They were alert. The shadow behind Graves looks like he's ready to aim his weapon.

Graves then quickly settle it down by saying "Well I'm not in it." (As soon as Graves took control of the situation, the shadow behind him eased up a lil')

Then Graves asked :

THAT is Graves' way of finding out how far Alex knew about his death, or possibly what he did. At the same time, he's determining his attitude/approach towards them based on the answers that would be given.

Had they known that Graves massacred a whole town to find Ghost and Soap, that would for sure change his attitude towards Graves. There's no way in hell that they'd act so casual like in the cutscene if they know.

-> If Alex had shown any hostility or any sentence that implied anything about the Las Almas massacre, Farah would 1000% turn hostile and change her view towards the Shadow Company, and Graves might proceed with a different, possibly more violent approach, and the alliance would go poof with guns blazing. (Because come on. Farah's country was basically massacred by Barkov, same as what Graves did in Las Almas)

LUCKILY THOUGH, things went according to Graves' way. Farah cut the conversation short, saying that they have their own battles and have no time for rumors. The scenario went on, Farah and Alex continued to be oblivious about Graves' grave crimes (hah).

TF141 didn't have any convo about Shadow Co. at all to Farah and Alex. I mean, they were busy with their own businesses, the people that was hunted by Graves (Ghost and Soap) was not as closely connected with Faralex compared to Price and Kyle, plus as far as they know, Graves was a case closed. (They had no reason to converse about Graves anyway during the Atomgrad Raid)

(If Price and Kyle was the one hunted down in Las Almas, the story might go differently 👀)

With SC fighting Makarov's Konni Group, SC would for SURE appear in MWIII no doubt. Now Graves need to make sure that Faralex NEVER know about the Las Almas incident.

We'll see how it goes~

[gomzdrawfr]

Hi comrade! Let's talk about Farah? Questions 6, 9, 18, 26 :)

Jujuuuuuuuuuuu *mUAH*

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

I want to say vibes, specifically Farah's energy when she walks into the room and you'll know she has a goal and plan to discuss, that you know she means business. I am like that in my class ksjfhsk because I have the reputation of being the leader in most assignments (cuz no one has a solid plan and I'm not gonna get my ass failed bcuz of the incompetencies of others)

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

Maybe? XD I imagine girls night would be nice with Farah.

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

Price. The level of trust is different there. The way he held her back in Atomgrad Raid, the talk in the forest.

"I hope you'll trust me" "Implicitly"

26. What's something the character has done you can't get over? Be it something funny, bad, good, serious, whatever?

You know what I'm still a bit confuse in mw3 when she had missiles, for someone who was so against about it with Hadir and all...it just threw me off the loop. "my weapons are my business" WELL I MEAN - *gestures* I dont really know how to word it, it just rubbed me the wrong way and Im just bummed it was never fully explained/explored (well cod mw3 is a shitshow with the speed and half hanging plot so I don't know why Im expecting anything more)

[sharkssharpteeth]

I will forever believe that Hadir deserved better. I love Graves to death, but I’d trade his life for Hadir’s any day.

Song: The View Between Villages - Noah Kahan

Video credits // MW 2019 clips @MKIceAndFire // MWII Atomgrad Raids clips @Gamer’s Little Playground (Both on YouTube)

Originally completed on 12/24/23

[brav0-6]

GAZ & PRICE IN ATOMGRAD RAID EP. 2 | MODERN WARFARE II

[mudgazing]

Just this once

(After rewatching Atomgrad ep 4 i needed to write some Farah and Alex angst + hurt/comfort)

Farah sighs raggedly, wrapping herself tighter in her sheets as nausea courses through her body. She should have been up over an hour ago. Deep down she knows why she can’t get up, but she’ll never admit it. Alex calls out, rapping on the door with urgency. “Commander! Are you alright?” “I’m fine!” She sighs, closing her eyes briefly. A face flashes in her mind. Blood running down his forehead like a disgraced prince. 

Fuck you, Hadir.

“It’s unlike you to be late for anything.” His deep, warm voice travels into her ears, temporarily pulling her out of her rage.

“Are you alright?” Gathering her strength, Farah sits up, head swimming. Through the fog, she stumbles towards the door, one desire rising above the rest. 

Part of her is saturated with guilt – a war is raging, her brain and body are overworked to the point where she can barely serve – and confusingly, all she wants is a little human comfort. How selfish, Farah chides sarcastically to herself as she cracks open the door. Alex gazes at her kindly as she’s swaddled in the sheets. “You’re clearly not alright,” He slips into the room, hands on his hips. “You got a fever, Karim?” “Likely.” As she retreats back to bed, he trails a respectful distance behind her. 

“I don’t know what could cause this. I’ve been eating what I usually eat, and —”

“You? Eat?” He scoffs good naturedly. “I do eat, Alex. Sometimes.” She mumbles the last word while turning to face away from him. She hates being seen like this, so incapacitated and vulnerable.  “Cigarettes don’t count.” He pulls up her desk chair beside the bed and plops down. “You have troops to delegate. That’s an order.” Farah shivers. “Already did.” “So you’re shirking personal responsibilities then?” She rolls over to face him, grimacing as beads of sweat appear on her forehead. Alex pulls out a handkerchief from his tac vest. “My responsibility now is …”He carefully wipes her head, speaking softly. “Takin’ care of you, Commander.” Farah swallows hard, eyes glued to him as he gets up and searches for her first aid kit. “I’ve been feeling hot and cold since last night. Aching all over. Nauseous as well, but no vomiting.” Alex returns to her side, handing her a thermometer. She shoves it in her mouth. “What do you think could have caused this, Alex?” She murmurs.  He looks sideways at her, forearms resting on his thighs as the thermometer's cap turns idly in his hands. “Yesterday's mission. I could tell you were under more stress than usual.” “Don’t worry about me — I’ve been through worse.” She sighs with resignation, closing her eyes. He pulls the thermometer out of her mouth. “99 degrees Fahrenheit.” 

“Fuck.” Farah opens her eyes, thick brows creased in annoyance and concern.  “Your body couldn’t take it anymore.” He continues, shaking up a brown bottle of pain reliever. “Seeing Hadir die was the straw that broke the camel’s back.” 

He pours the dark syrup into the cap and passes it to her. “My wounds will heal in time. They need to. There’s still lots of work to do.” She shudders a bit while downing the liquid.  “Of course they’ll heal, you’ve got one strong camel.” A fleeting smile passes her face at the shitty joke. He turns to face her, good knee touching the bed while his face grows serious. “I’m so fucking angry at what he did. And yet, when you knocked on the door this morning …” Tears rim her dark, sleep deprived eyes. “I was half expecting it to be him. I am – was – his sister. We helped each other survive, and he had the audacity to say stealing the gas was for Urzikstan, for us… ” Her voice rises, taking on an angry and desperate edge. She slowly opens her tightly balled fists, shuddering.

“I apologize, I got carried away.” “Farah.” He leans back in the chair, pulling off his gloves. “You should be the last person on earth to apologize.” 

“Death is around us every day. I don't have time to mourn, I should be re-strategizing with you. I'm well enough to talk…”

“No, you should relax.” Alex places a firm hand on her shoulder. “You're not thinking straight. I’ll … I’ll go digging for some intel and..."

They stare at each other for a moment, waiting on bated breath. Every nerve in Farah’s body tingles with yearning while he brushes loose, sweat damp hairs from her face. She allows herself to lean into the caress just this once.

[sw33tsnow]

Hurts so good

- (II) / (II)

Alex Keller x F!Reader

Summary: Does he love you, or he only sees you as Farah's sister.

Warning: NOT FOR MINORS, Sunshine!Alex, Grumpy!Reader, heavy plot + lots of conversations, spoilers, mentions of violence, mentions of injuries, mentions of blood, hurt/comfort, fluff, etc. Wordcount: 3k4

NOTE(s):

Might appears some grammar errs (APOLOGISE IN ADVANCE)

Better understanding (suggested): CoD MWI , CoD MWII - Atomgrad Raid

||THE PREVIOUS PART||

Months after the one-sided prisoner exchange with the Russian army with Hadir as the subject, you and Alex have recovered from your injuries after a long period of rest and have been assigned by Farah to the mountain Sattiq to investigate reports of an entrance that appeared to be an abandoned bunker dug into the hillside with three LF fighters. Closer inspection determined the hatchway was an inlet to what could be fortified Soviet-era fallout shelter, or something more, and unfortunately, Laswell informed that you were still dark on comms, haven't been heard from since your team’s initial infill. 

“Price, Gaz, Farah…your mission is to locate Alex, Phantom, and the LF team and do a complete and thorough reconnaissance of the facility” Kate calmly informed, “IF anyone or anything is down there, we need to know who and what…”

_-_-_-_-_-_

“Alright, let’s huddle up” Price commanded, “Comms are dead but Laswell may still hear us….”

“Watcher-1, this is Kilo actual with Bravo in the blind….” Farah nodded and started reporting to the radio on her shoulder.

A missile silo and an ICBM on the platform had been located, they cracked multiple doors and terminals, witnessed portions of the facility were flooded, and encountered multiple AQ believe the tunnels were cleared to this position. Nevertheless, they have not found Alex and you yet but Farah’s soldiers who went in with were KIA. If you two were still alive, you’d be somewhere ahead of them and they'd stay frosty to find you both, Price sternly said. 

"We expect more contact and obstacles to sort moving forward" Gaz added.

“Our team will ascend to the top of the silo and see if the warhead is still on the missile...Kilo actual and Bravo - out here" Farah killed the connection and the three of them headed further inside the tunnel in order to find you two.

The terrorists clung like leeches until they reached the Missile Warhead and saw Alex callsign: 3-1 black paint outside the door.

"Seal the door" Captain Price barked and the hatch closed immediately under Gaz's control.

All three of them landed on the low platform below, each of them checked quickly and it was good that no one was injured.

"You good, old man?" Farah teased.

"I've been worse"

Price continued to take the lead and led everyone within, greeting the three of them was a dozen of dead AQ’s bodies on the cold metal floor.

"Who the hell hit 'em?" Gaz inquired in a raspy voice. 

"Someone trying to stop them from doing this," Farah replied as her gaze went to the warhead.

Suddenly, behind them, there was a loud banging followed by Farah's callsign - Kilo.

"It's Alex"

<<Inside the trap room earlier>>

Alex's heavy boots' soles continued to thud on the ground, the momentum building as his silhouette circled relentlessly in front of the locked entrance.

"The door won't magically open even when your boots are worn out, Echo" You murmured, face buried in your palms and elbows resting on your knees, "Sit down, rest, please"

The man closed his eyes and peered up at the sky, then shook his head in defeat before joining you and slowly positioned down. The graze of his arm toward your shoulder was just enough to prompt you to quickly scout aside, only to be captured right away.

"Shabah…." You couldn't see his face, but you knew the distance was ancient since his warm breath hit on your lips, "You've been acting like that since the Medbay, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing" Wincing and turning away, your chin was caught and pulled back to its original position - eye-contacting him.

"That again" Alex snickered dryly, "I won't let you go if you don't give me a reasonable explanation, so you better start with something convincing"

Pupils had adjusted to the darkness, and both of your faces were clearer than ever. The brunett wasn't the type to issue stern commands, but his words always carry a certain weight, and a serious person with the intelligence like you was indeed capable of understanding that what he just said was not a tease. He’s not stupid and your behaviors were more appealing than you thought, no wonder how and what he’s figured out so far. 

Your muscles loosened somewhat in an attempt to calm yourself, and a frown formed at the corners of your mouth once you lifted your thumb to wipe away the dried blood stained on his cheekbone.

Seriously, this man never fails to peel off each layer of your cover, and you certainly not fucking appreciated that at all.

Alex's aware of your poor communication and that you're not good with expressing yourself, but he's also unable to read minds, either. You're a trained soldier, though he's potent at reading body language, it wasn't an easy task for him to discern your thinking and emotions. And the hardest shit was that you'd always take the blame and own up to any shortcomings, whether they're your own doing or not. He remembered you saying once that ‘a bad compromise is better than a good litigation’.

What else could he do other than talk to you through it?

But - "I like you" You stated bluntly, "Before was that, but now it's more than just liking"

Which caught him off ward.

"For someone like me, it’s fuckin' ridiculous to say that I have more than three lovers" You giggled unhumorously.

"Shabby, sarcastic, and grumpy" You narrated, "Not having an excellent appearance, what can I possibly ask for, hmm?"

Your mouth twisted into a smirk in response to the sympathy look that he's offering, "Don't feel sorry for me, treat me like your colleagues or perhaps your sister, that'll be more pleasant than let me get my hopes up too high, Keller"

Alex was silent because he just stared at you. Frankly, he detested this aspect of you - tried to stay professional and pushed him away, reasoning that it would be better for him and neglected your own desires.

"I'm not ashamed about admiring you, but with our job and ranks, it's absolutely inappropriate" 

Bingo: the bowed head and trembling voice, the low self-esteem that you yourself think typical turned out to be an eyesore to the brunett.

Why does a girl treat herself far more cruelly than in the military?

"If saying I'm not jealous would fool anyone but you and my closests, then yes, seeing your eyes brighten every time you're with Farah makes me realize how daydream I was all the time, Alex" You continued, "So just ignore the whole thing, please?"

Before the man could respond, the sound of attire rubbing and whispers diverted you both's attention. You nudged Alex forward the door in the ribs and got up which purposely accidentally halted him for finishing his words.

<<Present>>

And with Gaz's assistance, the trap door was no longer locked, and out stepped Alex, followed by you. A few quick check-ups and then Farah started questioning.

“How are you still alive?”

“The commander….he spared us” The brunett looked at you but you didn't glance back.

“Why?” 

“He has a message, wanted us to deliver it personally…”

“To you…” You added.

“To me?” Farah retorted. 

“It’s Hadir and he’s not in jail….anymore” You and Farah share the looks, no speech needed.

“He wants us to join him, or turn back…”

Frustrated, Farah growled out for her brother but of course he was no longer here anymore. He’s moved forward with the warhead and you have to catch up immediately.

“...First things first, we’ll need t’ relay this to Laswell, ‘nd work on out exfil-” Gaz was cut by you, “I can find us a signal”

And they all turned to you, but only Alex knew what’s on your mind and obviously, you’re trying to separate from him, again. 

“No شبح , you’re coming with us” Farah cupped your cheek, “I need you there….with Hadir”

You bit your lower lip but nodded anyway, because it would be useless to refuse her.

When the two of you were locked up, you’re still able to peak that the AQ has found another egress point, maybe not just one. Reaching the end of the tunnel, here standed an open space where the signal could finally make it to you all.

“Check comms” Price ordered.

“Watcher-1, comms check?” 

“Echo 3-1” There’s a relief washed over Kate’s voice, which made you grin in satisfaction.

“Phantom….send traffic?"

“We’re with Price and Commander Karim, be advised….Hadir has the warhead” You replied.

"Copy that….are you still able to track him?"

"A-firm….contact Gaz, we'll need support forward of our position"

_-_-_-_-_-_

"He's down....We're clear?" Farah asked, still pointing her gun after crashing into the room and killing the AQ soldier.

You heard some AQ soldiers screaming arabic as you chased after Hadir - now called the AQ Commander into the room full of old machines.

"Negative–room’s rigged" Price barked.

You looked around, seeing high speed fuse with their charges on the walls. Fuck, you guys have to move quick and make no wrong moves if didn’t want to be blown in pieces. 

Ultimately, Hadir’s appeared in the Control Room, which made Farah go mad. She shouted his name and started firing non-stop to the window, causing the flame to emerge and burn the wire.

“For fuck sake, Farah, hold your fire” You grunted as you hugged her back by her waist with Price pulled her back by her arm.

Alex swiftly ran toward the wire to defuse the burning part then added, “Charge’s safe….no threat”.

Absolutely, ‘cause you’re holding the threat right here. 

“Drop your weapons….all of you, NOW” Hadir screamed to the mic and Alex, Price, and you immediately lowered their rifles. 

Except for Farah.

"Farah, put it down" The brunett tried to convince her but she seemed unfazed.

"Sister, please, put the gun down" You have to speak up, luckily, she listened. 

Family conflict, Hadir and Farah constantly argued with each other, the woman even had a terrible confrontation with her younger brother when he intended to confront Cpt. John Price about giving him to the Russians. Threatening and unstoppable rages, Hadir persisted in urging you all to accompany him in using the warhead to eliminate the Russians. Ironically, all that the four of you observed was his irredeemable blindness only.

“I love you, Farah…Even if you hate me”  Hadir's voice softened and you could imagine the glossy eyes which Farah’s having right this moment.

And you merely kept quiet while casting a penetrating glance at Hadir.

"We take lives to save lives, sister" 

"Shut you trap, asshole, do you even fucking aware of what you're saying?" You remained your flat tone but the venom was unmeasurable.

"You too, little one, you also despise me like Farah?" Hadir darted his orbs to your direction.

"You” You sneered, “....You let me, no, let us down, I'm fucking disappointed, Hadir, no one gonna ever broke us this hard" You said pointing at Farah and your chest.

Hadir zipped his lips. 

"A nuclear weapon won't help anyone" Alex stepped in.

“You’ll only make things worse, Hadir” Price tried. 

Predictably, as if either of you could turn back anymore.

After accounting gunshots booming from every corner, Arabic hitting the already sensitive eardrums, then at last, your team had approached the elevator in which Hadir was secured inside.

"We're clear" Alex shouted to the comms, announced to Kate.

"Hell of the job down there” She praised.

After a few grunts, Farah and you were able to enter as Alex and Price wrenched open the hefty iron door.

"Show me your hands" Farah, who was still gripping the rifle tightly, aimed the smoldering muzzle directly at her brother, who appeared composed despite having a shattered limb that prevented him from moving and incessant bleeding on his head.

You standing by Farah, observing Hadir obediently complied with his sister's order and raised his hands to prove that he was unarmed.

"Farah, you have the warhead...use it" He grunted.

"No, Hadir, no one's gonna use it" You said, "It'ill be disposed of, safely" Shaking your head.

These two's stubbornness was evident when they refused to give up on persuading each other.

"Listen to me Farah, they are coming..." Hadir tried to squeeze out each word, "Urzikstan is in danger"

"Who is coming Hadir?" Softly, as though fearing he wouldn't tell, Alex enquired.

However, they're nevertheless leaving without the response they had hoped for since Hadir died after giving his last breath to his dearest sister, the sole surviving member of his family.

A tear as pure as crystal cascaded down Farah's dusky visage. Her little brother, whom she had always adored, guarded, and shared life with, was a terrorist.

Choices have consequences, and nothing could be more devastating than witnessing your younger brother pass away right in front of you. The outcome was aware of, regardless of the intention.

"Shabah?" Alex said quietly, yet you walked away before he could grip your bicep.

Step by step, silently moving towards the black-haired man with blood flowing around his cold body. You squatted down, lifted your hand to conceal the gaping pupils by his lids with a gentle swipe, and took hold of Hadir's wrist, pressing it to your forehead.

"وداعا يا أخي" .Farewell, brother

And you stood up, passed Alex, and went straight up without sparing another word.

_-_-_-_-_-_

You have been idle and increasingly reclusive ever since that day. It's difficult to catch you hanging out with other soldiers unless you've been recruited or assigned because you've taken on Hadir's place. You're seldom seen with anyone at meals, always getting up early to practice, and even here on the base, you’ll wear a top-cut balaclava mask that only your hair and eyes exposed.

The brunette feels awkward. Even though Farah was terribly in pain, she was strong enough to overcome it, but you were different. Upon assessing your files, Alex learned that you had been rescued from human trafficking and had been tortured terribly for information during plenty of missions in Russia. You have no relatives left, only Kate and Cpt. Price earned your trust, and Farah and Hadir followed. Understanding and compassionate, you're no different than Farah and Hadir's youngest sister, surely this great loss is not easy for you. 

Alex attempts to find and talk to you, but you consistently manage to evade him. The man can only be comforted knowing that you'd avoided everyone, including Farah, not just him. 

But Alex isn't one to give up quickly. Even though you promised to keep things as they are and not do anything he doesn't like, you progressively distanced yourself from the brunett. This was evident since Hadir locked you both up and your team had to work together to secure the warhead.

Alex undoubtedly felt nothing but appreciation and apologies towards you after you burned your back protecting him at the factory. But the man seemed as though something significant was missing inside him when you kept remaining your overly composure to him. Specifically, after your confession, Alex cannot recall the same joyment in his chest as he sees Farah anymore, much like meeting his superior.

And praise Allah, and the intel that needs to be exchanged, the man has found you - sitting next to Farah on the rooftop with your face not covering.

“You can't stay away forever, قطيط” Farah pats your head. Kitten, still calling you that after all these years

"Just for now, okay?" You sigh, "I don't want to accidentally say things I can't control"

That's correct, Farah once mentioned to him that the reason you spoke slowly and lacked excessive emotion while speaking was because you didn't want to blurt out any shitty stuff.

"I know everyone's worried about me, I really appreciate it...." You swallow the lump in your throat, "But I need a little more time to—"

Your keen gaze darts to the widely opened door, where a dapper man is standing and staring fondly at the two of you.

Not for you, not for you ever, you tell yourself.

"I'll leave you two together" And you stand up, grab the mask, and quickly run to the opposite entrance.

Wait, why are you running away? But you couldn’t care less, Alex is the last person you want to see. Isn't leaving now the right choice?

Two tattooed sleeves seize your waist and tug you back, interrupting your train of thinking. Your torso stiffen, arms snaking up as you attempt to wrench the man's damn muscles off of you but only result by your back pressing more solidly against the warm chest behind.

"Don't, let me hug you" The brunett gently pressed his face into your neck, his nose rubbed against your skin, and his beard left an indescribable tickling sensation when he spoke.

"I'm still here, Alex," you assure him. "You can let me go" 

For fuck sake, how does that phrase indicate some other meaning as you say it?

"No" The larger man shook his head vigorously, "I need you"  

You're too stunned by the unexpected intimacy and wonder what's wrong with him. You had no idea if he was hurt or what had happened, but your bodies start to sway back and forth after a while of standing like mad.

“N-Need me for what, Alex?” You peer at him.

“To talk to me…..I miss you”

Your eyes widened in surprise and his beautiful blue pupils took on an amused look. For you, no doubt, he just said that he missed you.

Your lips slightly open and then close, as if you can’t think of anything to say, and Alex adores your nervousness. Normally, you communicate more through deeds than words, but you're finding it difficult to speak at the moment because you're under such a strain from this man who cannot stop grinning while staring straight into your soul.

“A-Are you aware of what you just said?” You stutter and he chuckles cheerishly.

 “That’s not somethin’ you say to the person’s gonna be together with you on Christmas, little one” 

This is wrong, Alex would never look at you like this. You shoved the brunett aside and turned back, hands balled into tight fists.

"Don't lie, Keller, are you out of your damn mind?" Well, it's the calm, menacing tone you tend to use in interrogations with the enemies.

Alex isn't surprised to be pushed back and questioned. He realized that when you employed this tone, you were making an effort to disguise your vulnerability. You do not wish to fall so readily, he understands.

"I know it's miserable to put you in this situation, but the past time has been enough for me to realize many things" And he called you by name rather than your callsign. 

“I’m sorry” The man exhales.

“Sorry fo–” 

“Sorry for what, you really gonna ask me that?” Alex grimaces and wets his lips, “Well I don’t know, maybe for everything stupid shits that I’ve put you through this whole damn time!” 

Which shut you up instantly.

“I’ve fucked up, really bad when I, no, you let me agree to treat you like my colleague after what you’ve done for me” He continued, “...After you’ve confessed to me. I know I’ve hurt you but how’d you say it out s-so easily like that, like it doesn’t weigh any shit like that?”

Your lips tremble as he gingerly approaches you step by step.

“Don’t just put on that I’m absolutely fine face and keep on acting like you’re fine, cus you’re not” He’s now standing in front of you.

“I want you to get in this thick little head of yours….stop keeping quiet or do not say any goddamn words; you wanted me and Farah to be together when you love me, for once.....please.....just be selfish, will you?” He pleads.

Alex rests his palms on your cheeks, whispering as he lifts your head up. You look like a complete mess right now, with tears flowing down your face and your body quivering constantly. Thinking about that makes you sniffle even more.

"Shhh....I'm here now" The man coos, "I'll be here...for you, with you"

And you nod aggressively, earning a deep but loving chuckle from him. The brunett leans down then captures your lips with his, attach in a tender and attentive kiss, and you gripped to Alex as a last-ditch effort to keep from losing your balance.

“Thank you” Your voice forces out, happy and pleased.

“Thank you for giving me a chance” 

Foreheads glue together and eyes close. As the sun goes down and the room grows darker, all you manage to feel are the warmth between and the faint cologne which might be replaced by others’ scent soon. 

Taglist: @shadowlali , @ghostlythots